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THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER 



By the same Author. 

THE PASSION OP THE KING 
Short Daily Meditations for Lent. 

Limp cloth, 15 cts. By mail, 17 cts. Full cloth boards, 

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THE VOICE 
OF MY PRAYER 



Short Meditations for Sundays 
and Holy Days 



i^ 



BY , 

SHIRLEY C. HUGHSON 

Mission Priest of the Order 
of the Holy Cross 



9 

■1 ) 



MILWAUKEE 

THE YOUNG CHURCHMAN CO, 

1907 



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■n*w«M>»>«M>alf 



j LIBRARY Of C0N6HESS 
Two Codes Received 

^EB 21190/ 

.^Copyright Entry 
CLASS A XXcNb. 
COPY B. 



oopybight by 

The Young Churchman Co. 

1907 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 



tbc Tirst Sunday in M^m. 

Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast 
aicay the icorks of darkness, and put upon us the 
armour of light, noio in the time of this mortal 
life, in ivhich thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit 
us in great humility ; that in the last day, when 
he shall come again in his glorious majesty to 
judge both the quick and the dead, ice may rise 
to the life immortal, through him who liveth and 
reigneth toith thee and the Holy Ghost, now and 
ever. Amen. 

I. On the first day of the Church Year, 
we recognize that our Religion involves two 
things : (1) Casting away the works of dark- 
ness, and (2) putting on the armour of light. 
We niust indeed break with our sinful habits, 
but this is not enough. Ours is not a merely 
negative religion. We must do something 
positive in the way of performing the works 
of Christ which will be our armour against 
all the darts of Satan. What definite thing 
shall I do for God on this first day of the 
Church's Year? 



2 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

II. We are to do this for the love of Him 
who came at His first Advent "to visit us in 
great humility." This done, we shall be able 
to join His train when at His second Advent, 
"He shall come again in His glorious majesty 
to judge both the quick and dead." The ambi- 
tion of every truly Christian soul is ever to 
be like Christ. In this life He came in great 
humility. If I am, in this life, meek and 
humble as He was, then shall I have a good 
hope of being like Him in His glory hereafter. 

III. When will He come? We speak of 
His Coming as though it were some remote 
event to be realized in some far-off age. But 
He may be nigh, even at the doors. Is my 
lamp trimmed and burning, awaiting my 
Lord's coming? Am I one of those blessed 
servants whom the Lord, when He comes, will 
find watching? 



tbe Second Sunday in JUvtnu 

Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scrip- 
tures to he written for our learning; Chra/tit that 
we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, 
and inwardly digest them, that hy patience and 
comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, a/nd 
ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, 
which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus 
Christ. Amen. 

I. The only thing in life that, in the last 
analysis, is important, is the soul's prepara- 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 3 

tion for the Lord's coming. Whatever we can 
read or learn that will help us in that, is of 
paramount importance; all other knowledge 
is vain and passing. How am I using the 
knowledge I am daily acquiring — of books, of 
people, of what is going on about me? Am I 
using it to learn more of God and His love, 
more of the awfulness of the sin I am to 
avoid ? 

II. There are many sources of knowledge, 
and all can be turned to my eternal advantage, 
but that which I gain from the Bible is be- 
yond any comparison the most important. 
The Bible was written for the purpose of 
teaching me how to prepare for the great Day 
of the Lord. Do I hear, read, mark, learn, 
and, above all, inwardly digest its precious 
truth, that I might grow more and more in 
the way of eternal life ? 

III. We must not read Scripture only 
that we might store our minds with informa- 
tion, but that we might be filled with "pa- 
tience and comfort of His Holy Word." We 
must pray as well as read. "Pray much and 
read little," that is, linger over the blessed 
page, asking the Holy Spirit to inspire you 
that you might find a message for your heart. 
Then will you be able (1) to embrace, and (2) 
ever hold fast the Messed hope of everlasting 
life. 



4 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

tbe Cbira Sunday in JIdoent 

Lord Jesus Christ, who at thy first coming 
didst send thy messenger to prepare thy way be- 
fore thee; Grant that the ministers and stewards 
of thy mysteries may likeivise so prepare and 
make ready thy way, hy turning the hearts of the 
disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at thy 
second coming to judge the world ive may be 
found an acceptable people in thy sight, who 
livest and reignest loith the Father and the Holy 
Spirit ever, one God, world ivithout end. Amen. 

I. We are reminded to-day of St. John 
Baptist, and his first mission, and we pray that 
the ministry of the Church might, in our time, 
exercise a ministry like his. But the collect 
prays for all the people of God, and if our 
day needs a ministry like that of the Baptist, 
is it not because many of the people are like 
those of his time ? Am I regarding the living 
voice of the Church to-day as a personal call to 
me to "flee from the wrath to come ?" 

II. I shall fail to hear the voice of the 
Church as I should, unless I realize my 
liability to become subject to the wrath of God. 
Sin will make me subject to His wrath. Is 
there unrepented sin in my life? What habit 
of sin is fettering my soul? Let me think on 
this, and then hear the loving warning of God, 
crying, "Repent ye !'' 

III. The purpose of the Church's call is 
now, as it was then, to "turn the hearts of the 
disobedient to the wisdom of the just." Only 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYEPv. 5 

a foolish and "unwise heart is disobedient to 
God. The wise ones who are in His sight 
justified, are the ones who obey His word. 
Disobedience to Him is the essence of folly, 
for it can only work out into eternal loss and 
w^oe. Does my daily life show me to be among 
God's wise ones? 



tbc Tourtft Sunday In Hdpcnt 

Lord, raise up, we pray thee, thy power, 
and come among us, and with great might succour 
us; that tvhereas through our sins and wicked- 
ness, ice are sore let and hindered in running 
the race that is set Ijefore us, thy bountiful grace 
and mercy may speedily help and deliver u^; 
through the satisfaction of thy Son our Lord, to 
lohom loith thee and the Holy Ghost he honour 
and glory, world without end. Amen. 

I. During the previous Sundays in Ad- 
vent, we have been addressing God in regard 
to our preparation for the second Coming. 
iSTow, however, the soul seems to break away 
with holy impatience from that which may be 
very far off. She wants her Lord now. She 
needs Him, and cries out for Him as the hart 
for the waterbrooks : "O Lord, raise up, we 
pray thee, thy power, and come among us !" 
Do I really long for Him? Will I make a 
place for Him in my heart, crying, "Even so, 
come Lord Jesus !" 

II. The soul knows that her sins are re- 



6 THE VOICE OE MY PRAYER. 

sponsible for her being sore let and hindered 
in running the race that is set before her, and 
weary and sick of heart she longs for Him as a 
little child for a father^s strong arms, be- 
seeching that He will "with great might suc- 
cour her." The feet of Jesus will not be slow 
to answer such a summons. Swiftly will He 
come with His great heart full of loving ten- 
derness, and take her in His strong and ever- 
lasting arms. 

III. If the heart's cry be sincere, our lov- 
ing God will with "bountiful grace and mercy 
speedily help and deliver us." There will be 
no long tarrying. He will come to us, and in 
the power of His indwelling strength and 
comfort, give us sweetness and joy everlasting. 



ebristmas Day* 

(December 25.) 

Almighty God, who hast given us thy only 
hegotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as 
at this time to he horn of a pure virgin; Grant 
that we heing regenerate, and made thy children 
hy adoption and grace, may daily he renewed hy 
thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord 
Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee 
and the same Spirit, ever one God, world without 
end. Amen. 

I. First of all, on this happy day, we re- 
call the love of the Father, who hath "given 
us His only-begotten Son." This is an echo 
of our Lord's words to Nicodemus: "God so 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 7 

loved the world that He gave His only-begot- 
ten Son." It was the world He loved, the re- 
bellious world whose age-long sin had grieved 
but could not quench the Father's love. My 
sins must come before me this day, and the 
Christmas joy must find its chief note in the 
thought of the pardoning love that takes them 
all away. 

n. God's love and man's sin stand ever 
side by side. In this life of constant tempta- 
tion and so frequent failure, the thought of 
either must always remind us of the other. 
Have you sinned against Him? Then rejoice 
this Christmas morning that His love is ready 
to cleanse your sin-stained heart. Does your 
spirit thrill with the consciousness of this 
love as you kneel at His manger-throne? 
Then let that love keep you from again 
wounding the little Jesus by your sin. 

III. All this can be done only by remem- 
bering the truth the collect teaches. We are 
regenerate, born anew, and are His children 
by adoption and grace, but this is not enough. 
A babe may have a safe and healthy birth, but 
life will soon go out if it be not fed and nour- 
ished. So must we "daily be renewed by His 
Holy Spirit" ; we must be fed with Holy Com- 
munion; washed by Absolution; our souls 
made strong by exercise in fighting tempta- 
tions and and doing what God asks. 



8 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

Saint Stephen's Day« 

(December 26.) 

Grmit, Lord, that in all our sufferings here 
upon earth for the testimony of thy truth, we 
may stedfastly look up to heaven, and by faith 
behold the glory that shall be revealed; and, 
being filled with the Holy Ghost, may learn to 
love and bless our persecutors by the example 
of thy first Martyr Saint Stephen, who prayed 
for his murderers to thee, blessed Jesus, who 
standest at the right hand of God to succour all 
those loho suffer for thee, our only Mediator and 
Advocate. Amen. 

I. We are told repeatedly in Scripture 
that we are to suffer with Christ if we are to 
be glorified with Him. I have had my share 
of crosses, perhaps, but what have I suffered 
for the testimony of His truth? What in- 
stance can I recall of my braving the ridicule 
of others for our Lord's sake ? Did I have the 
courage to refuse to laugh at that irreverent 
jest, or, instead of bearing my testimony for 
God, did I keep silence and let men thinlc I 
too cared naught for His honour? 

II. If I bear not my witness, how can I 
look up to heaven, and by faith behold the 
glory that shall be revealed? That glory will 
consist of the reward He will give to those 
who confess Him before men (St. Matt. x. 
32). Let me always so speak and act that 
men, when they see me, will take note of me 
that I have been with Jesus. 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 9 

III. But the life of loyalty to Jesus 
Christ will incite Satan to stir up persecution 
against us. It may not be like what St. Ste- 
phen suffered, but the petty spite of the world 
will give us the same opportunity he had to 
gain glorious blessings by praying for those 
who despitefully use us. His example and 
mine is our Lord "who when He was reviled, 
reviled not again, when He suffered, He 
threatened not." 



Saint 3obn tbc €pandeli$f $ Day. 

(December 27.) 

Merciful Lord, we beseech thee to cast thy 
bright beams of light upon thy Church, that it 
being instructed by the doctrine of thy blessed 
Apostle and Evangelist St. John, may so walk 
in the light of thy truth, that it may at length 
attain to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ 
our Lord. Amen. 

I. The wonders of the Holy Gospel lie be- 
fore us on the pages of St. John, but we shall 
have no power to be instructed by him unless 
our minds, so darkened by sin, be enlightened 
by the bright beams of the Holy Ghost. Every 
sin causes darkness of understanding. I 
sometimes wonder why the Church's teaching 
in the Bible or in the Creeds is hard to under- 
stand. Is it because my soul is dark with 
some hidden sin? 

II. God has so constituted the human 



10 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

soul that there is no limit to the divine light 
with which it can be glorified. Every prayer 
or good deed, every aspiration of the heart 
heavenward, is like throwing wider the win- 
dows that the blessed light might penetrate 
within, bringing warmth and strength and 
joy. Let me resolve frequently this day to 
lift up my heart to Him that He, the Light of 
the world, might fill me more and more. 

LEL In the original version of this Col- 
lect, the conclusion read, ^^that it might at 
length attain to the light of everlasting life." 
We are to walk in the light of divine truth here 
in order that we may attain the everlasting 
light there. And as the Christian life here 
must be one of continual progress (for it is 
written, "The path of the just is as the 
shining light that shineth more and more 
unto the perfect day"), so in heaven there 
will be a never-ending progress; through all 
eternity the soul being ever more gloriously 
illuminated, and understanding ever more 
clearly the mysteries of the truth and beauty 
of our God. 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 11 

tbe Innocents' Day« 

(December 28.) 

Almighty God, who out of the mouths of 
tabes and sucklings ha^st ordained strength, and 
madest infants to glorify thee by their deaths; 
Mortify and kill all vices in us, and so strengthen 
us by thy grace, that by the innocency of our 
lives, and constancy of our faith even unto death, 
we may glorify thy holy Name, through Jesus 
Christ our Lord, Amen. 

I. On this day the Church bids the soul 
take courage. What if we are full of weak 
ness, and in the face of difficulties feel 
affrighted at the thought of past failures, can- 
not He who out of the mouths of babes and 
sucklings ordained strength overcome also our 
weakness for His glory? If the thought of 
my weakness makes me trust in Him, then 
will God's strength be made perfect in me. 

n. The Innocents glorified God hy their 
deaths, by what the world would call failure, 
being cut off in the beginning of their career. 
Their mothers doubtless had ambitions that 
they should glorify the God of their fathers by 
becoming great in Israel, and mourned the un- 
timely end of their offspring. But God knew 
better and the Church for all time rejoices in 
the glory their deaths and seeming failure 
gave to Him. If I cleave steadfastly to the 
right, failure of plans and death of earthly 
hopes will glorify God more than the highest 



12 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

success achieved at the sacrifice of the smallest 
point of principle. 

III. If we would glorify His Name, it 
must be (1) hy the innocency of our lives 
which can only be attained by allowing the 
Holy Spirit to mortify and hill all vices in us, 
checking by our wills the rising of every 
sinful impulse, and struggling to break every 
evil habit; and (2), by the constancy of our 
faith, which can remain firm under disap- 
pointment and trials only when strengthened 
hy His grace. New grace comes from Him 
every time I pray, or devoutly read His Word ; 
with each Sacrament I receive, with every 
loving submission to the Will of God. 



tbc Sunday JIftcr Cbristmas/ 

God, who makest us glad with the yearly 
reme^nhrance of the birth of thine only Son, Jesus 
Christ; Grant that as we joyfully receive him 
for our Redeemer, so toe may ivith sure confidence 
behold him when he shall come to be our Judge, 
who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy 
Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen. 

I. The Church on Christmas strikes the 
dominant note of all our holy religion, — that 
of joy. All the world is glad to-day, but why? 
The only true Christian gladness is that which 



* There is no separate Collect for this Sunday, 
so the second one for Christmas Day is used. 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 13 

comes from the remembrance of the birth of 
the little Child of the Manger. The riot- 
ous, wicked joy of the world shames and dis- 
honours God, but the deep, still, heart- joy that 
thrills us when we think how much He loves 
us, is what makes this feast one of the most 
blessed of the year. 

II. By joyfully receiving Him for our 
Redeemer, we mean that realizing our sins 
and the need of a Saviour, we allow Him to do 
His work of salvation in our souls, knowing 
that only through Him can we be saved. 
Suppose we were cut off from salvation ! The 
bare thought is terrifying, and it is quite 
possible for us to be cut off by wilful sin. But 
Jesus comes to save and defend, and we hail 
Him with joy as the shipwrecked mariner 
hails him who comes to deliver him from 
death. 

ni. Though so full of joy, the Collect 
sounds, too, a note of solemn warning. He 
came as a little Child in the Manger ; He shall 
one day come again "to be our judge." I can 
"with sure confidence behold Him" then 
only in so far as I now joyfully receive Him 
for my Redeemer. Am I in reality receiving 
Him thus ? Am I allowing Him to break the 
chains of my habitual sin, or do the habits 
continue without any real effort on my part 
to leave them off? 



14 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

tbe eircumcision of Gbrist 

Almighty God, who madest thy blessed Son to 
he circumcised, and obedient to the law for man; 
Grant us the true circumcision of the Spirit; 
that, our hearts, and all our members, being 
mortified from all worldly and carnal lusts, we 
may in all things obey thy blessed will; through 
the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

I. The first thought of the year is that of 
obedient service to God as set forth in the ex- 
ample of our Lord. The prayer for the first 
day of the year reminds us that life is a ser- 
vice; every soul is under either the service of 
God, or that of Satan. Self-will is the mark 
of the Satanic service. Do I find it in my 
life? Which service will be mine during the 
coming year? 

II. We pray for the true circumcision of 
the Spirit, that "our hearts and all our mem- 
bers" might be mortified. First, the heart; 
for if the heart be right towards God all else 
will follow. It is naturally our joy to serve 
those we love. The measure of my love for 
Him will be found in the joy with which I 
obey Him. 

III. We pray that we might do two things, 

(1) mortify all worldly and carnal lusts, and 

(2) in all things obey His blessed will. It is 
not enough to fight against sin; that must 
always be followed by the bringing into our 
lives the Christian virtues which are all in- 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 15 

eluded in a life of obedience. Note, too, how 
thorough must be God's service. We must 
mortify all lusts, and obey in all things. Am 
I definitely trying to cultivate a loving sweet- 
ness of disposition, a humble patience, and a 
generous yielding to others? What am I 
holding back in my service of my Lord as I 
begin this new year ? 



tbe Second Sunday after ebristmas/ 

Almighty God, who madest thy blessed Son 
to he circumcised, and obedient to the law for 
man; Grant us the true circumcision of the 
Spirit; that, our hearts, and all our members, 
being mortified from all worldly and carnal lusts, 
we may in all things obey thy blessed will; 
through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, 
Amen. 

I. Circumcision was the sign of a covenant 
between God and man. Circumcision of spirit 
implies a like covenant. A covenant is a con- 
tract binding both parties. Consider God's 
condescension in binding Himself by an 
agreement with me. He gives me rights, as 
it were, against Himself, and allows me, if I 
do my part, an appeal to His justice, to se- 
cure these rights. What must I do to-day to 
fulfil my part of the contract He makes with 
me? 



* The Collect for the Circumcision is ap- 
pointed for this Sunday. 



16 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

II. God brought me into the new and 
eternal covenant at my Baptism. Many a 
time have I broken my agreement by sin, and 
yet again and again does He renew the cove- 
nant with me in His love and tenderness. 
Does not the thought of His longsufPering 
make me ashamed to violate the covenant 
again ? 

III. How am I to keep my covenant with 
Him? So often have I tried and my own 
strength has failed me. I must resolve to 
cut off my sins, and carry out my resolution 
in His strength. I must pray, I must be on 
guard, I must repent when I fail, and above 
all, there must be no discouragement at falls. 
"The saints are the sinners who kept on try- 
ing." Whatever failure I may have had, if 
when the Lord comes I am still found trying, 
all will be well with me for eternity. 



tbe epiphany* 

God, who hy the leading of a star didst 
manifest thy only-hegotten Son to the Gentiles; 
Mercifully grant that we, who know thee now hy 
faith, may after this life have the fruition of 
thy glorious Godhead; through Jesus Christ our 
Lord. Amen, 

I. The shepherds were called to Bethlehem 
by a vision of Angels but the wise men had 
only the leading of a star, whose light failed 
them at the most critical moment. To the 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 17 

first He gave a call they could not doubt, to 
go only a little way to find their Saviour; to 
the others He gave the flickering light of a 
star by which they were to pursue their long 
journey for many days. 

II. Consider the fortitude the wise men 
displayed. When the star vanished, their 
faith only reached out after truth more 
boldly ; and even when they were conducted by 
its returning light to the Infant Messiah, they 
saw only a Baby shivering with cold in a 
manger, the child of an unknown maiden from 
a despised town. Yet they never doubted that 
He was the Messiah King, and worshipping 
Him they presented the gifts they had pre- 
pared. They had no external assurance that 
would appeal to their reason, and yet "not 
having seen they rejoiced with joy unspeak- 
able." 

III. If we strive to exercise such a faith, 
in the end we shall have "the fruition of His 
glorious Godhead." When God does not seem 
to make our way plain before us, does the 
thought arise that He is testing us as He did 
the Gentiles? and are we reminded that those 
who are severely tested are the ones whom 
great honour awaits ? 



18 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

tbe Tirst Sunday after tbe epipbany* 

Lord, we beseech thee mercifully to receive 
the prayers of thy people who call upon thee; and 
grant that they may both perceive and know what 
things they ought to do, and also may have grace 
and power faithfully to fulfil the same; through 
Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. 

I. We here first recall the attitude nec- 
essary to prayer, and throw ourselves on the 
divine mercy. In prayer there must be the 
cry of a heart realizing its own need and 
helplessness, and turning to the all-loving 
One. When our prayers are not answered, it 
is too often because we have prayed carelessly 
or selfishly, not throwing ourselves on God in 
humility and trust. 

II. Thus humbly appealing to the divine 
mercy we ask that we may both perceive and 
hnow what things we ought to do. We ask 
not only that we might see God's will for us, 
but that there might be such an illumination 
of the spirit that we might have a real know- 
ledge and understanding of the deeper mean- 
ing of His will. Not that we are to bring it 
before the tribunal of our own judgment, and 
having approved it, follow it; but that by the 
Spirit we might see clearly that will in its 
true relation to all things, and understand 
that it would be against reason to have any 
will save His. 

III. We may "perceive and know," and 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 19 

still fail. Often we know the right and yet 
pursue the wrong; therefore we ask further 
that we may have grace and power to fulfil 
His will. We may have perfect knowledge of 
His will, but "without Me/' He says, "ye can 
do nothing." Seek consciously to rely on Him 
even in the smallest things. 



tbe Second Sunday after tfie €pipbany« 

Almighty and everlasting God, who dost gov- 
ern all things in heaven and earth; Mercifully 
hear the supplications of thy people, and grant 
us thy peace all the days of our life; through 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

I. This is preeminently a prayer for peace, 
and so is rightly addressed to Him "Who dost 
govern all things in heaven and earth." In 
order that peace may be had there must be a 
governing and restraining power. Our hearts 
are full of contending forces, good and evil, 
and there is no peace because there is in us 
no intelligent restraining hand. The first step 
toward true peace is to realize this weakness. 
Then will our hearts turn to God who alone 
can calm the struggle within by expelling the 
evil and strengthening the good. 

II. Realizing our weakness we can then 
pray, "Grant us Thy peace all the days of our 
life." We ask no spurious peace, no drugging 
of the soul with the world's narcotics, but His 



20 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

peace. He has promised His peace, "My peace 
I give unto you." When He restrains and 
coordinates all our faculties, and everything is 
brought to its proper relation, perfect peace 
will arise. A peace which is only the quiet- 
ing of a confused mass of opposing elements 
cannot endure. True peace can only come 
from Him who is "the author of peace." 

III. "Peace is the tranquility of order." It 
arises from everything being in the right 
place, and working according to the law of its 
own being. This God brings about by His 
presence within us, but if it is to endure "all 
the days of our life," we have to contribute to 
the maintenance of it by humbly yielding our 
wills to Him daily in the little details of life. 



the tbird Sunday after the epipbany* 

Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look 
upon our infirmities, and in all our dangers and 
necessities stretch forth thy right hand to help 
and defend us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, 
Amen, 

I. We are praying to-day to be saved from 
ourselves, to be delivered from that inherent 
weakness of our nature which leads to so much 
sin. Though infirmity of the soul is not in 
itself sin yet we cannot be indifferent to it, 
because it is, on the one hand the result of 
past sin, and also the constant occasion of 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 21 

further sin. So with penitent hearts we call 
to Him "Who knows whereof we are made, 
who remembers we are but dust.'' 

II. Though infirmity is not sin, yet the 
contemplation of it should always be with an 
act of contrition, for, in all likelihood, we 
ourselves are responsible for most of our in- 
firmities. I am weak now because I have 
sinned in the past, and I will be still weaker 
in the future if I yield now. 

III. We here pray in respect to all our 
dangers and necessities. How manifold are 
the dangers! So often the things that seem 
good are but lurking snares of Satan; and 
he can turn the best things to an evil pur- 
pose. Then our necessities; we are ignorant 
of what we need, and know not what we 
should ask for as we ought. "Lord, teach 
us to pray." In all these things we ask Him 
to help and defend us — ^first, to help us in the 
good we are trying to do ; second, to defend us 
from the attacks of evil. 



22 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

the Tourtb SmA^y after tbe epiphany. 

G^ocZ, t^/io knowest us to he set in the midst 
of so many and great dangers, that hy reason of 
the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand 
upright; Grant to us such strength and protection 
as may support us in all dangers, and carry us 
through all temptations; through Jesus Christ 
our Lord. Amen 

I. God's knowledge of our dangers and 
our frailty gives us hope, for He is a loving 
Father, tenderly watching over His children 
in their weakness. So we appeal to His 
knowledge and His love, and our appeal im- 
plies a confession of dependence on Him. 
In substance we are saying to Him, "I know 
Thy will that I should always stand upright; 
I have no power of myself to help myself; 
undertake for me." It is a solemn responsi- 
bility to speak thus to God. 

II. Then we ask two things, strength and 
protection. First, that we ourselves, our own 
faculties, our mind, heart, and will may have 
infused into them the strength of our Lord's 
Humanity, that through Him we might con- 
quer. Secondly, we ask His protection. We 
need to be defended without as well as forti- 
fied within. How sweet the thought of the 
divine protection: "The eternal God is thy 
refuge, and underneath are the everlasting 
arms." 

m. And so strengthened within and 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 23 

fenced without, He will "support us in all our 
dangers." Let the cry of my heart be : "I will 
fear no evil for Thou art with me" (Ps. xxiii. 
4). And He "will carry us through all tempta- 
tions/' for "He Himself having suffered, being 
tempted, is able to succour them that are 
tempted." 



tl)c Tiftb Sunday after the €pipbany« 

Lord, we beseech thee to keep thy Church 
and household continually in thy true religion; 
that they who do lean only upon the hope of thy 
heavenly grace may evermore he defended by thy 
mighty power; through Jesus Christ our Lord, 
Amen. 

I. The first thought is the dependence of 
the Church on God to preserve it in true 
religion. The word "Church" here does not 
mean the Body of Christ, but the individual 
souls composing it on earth. Of course, we 
know from our Lord's promise that the gates 
of hell can never prevail against the Catholic 
Church. As an organism she can never be 
other than in "true religion," for she is in- 
fallible. So this prayer is one for ourselves 
and our brethren. We pray that we may 
never backslide; that our Christian course be 
one continual advance. 

H. We plead for this in order that we 
"may evermore be defended by Thy mighty 
power." It is not possible for those who do 



24 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

not commit themselves to the keeping of God 
to find His power a defense because it is im- 
possible, omnipotent though it be, for it to 
operate upon any but a willing heart. 

III. The collect implies one other condi- 
tion, that they who look for the defense of 
His mighty power must "lean only upon the 
hope of Thy heavenly grace." Those who put 
their trust in worldly help, or in self, who 
think they will get on well enough because of 
worldly wealth or talent, can hope for no help 
from God. 



tbe Sixtb SmAny ntut tbe epipbany* 

God, whose blessed Son was manifested that 
he might destroy the works of the devil, and 
make us the sons of God, and heirs of eternal 
life; Grant us, we beseech thee, that having this 
hope, we may purify ourselves, even as he is 
pure; that when he shall appear again with power 
and great glory, we may be made like unto him 
in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where with 
thee, Father, and thee, Holy Ghost, he 
liveth and reigneth, ever one God, world without 
end. Amen, 

I. The purpose of Christ's manifestation 
was to "destroy the works of the devil," and 
so to make us sons of God, and fellow-heirs 
of His glory. But this work, while completed 
so far as His part goes, is not accomplished in 
us until we by our response, have laid hold of 
His salvation. "He created us without our 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 25 

wills, He does not save us without our wills." 
In the greater work of salvation He honours 
us by making us co-workers with Him. 

II. We pass on to ask for grace to do our 
part, which is that, having this hope (i.e.j that 
He will thus make us heirs with Him), we 
purify ourselves according to the model of 
His own purity. Only the pure in heart shall 
see God, and this vision is our ultimate hope. 
Every time we reject a temptation, or put 
away sin, we advance in the likeness of His 
purity. 

III. All His work in us and our work for 
Him, look forward to His second Coming 
"with power and great glory." If when He 
comes there is found in us any real likeness 
to Him, then shall we be borne up with Him 
into His kingdom. Am I daily seeking to 
purify myself of something that conscience 
tells me is unlike Him? 



Lord, we beseech thee favourably to hear 
the prayers of thy people; that we, who are justly 
punished for our offences, may he mercifully de- 
livered by thy goodness, for the glory of thy 
"Name; through Jesus Christ our Saviour, Who 
liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, 
ever one God, world vyithout end. Amen, 

I. To-day we turn our faces towards Cal- 
vary, and as we turn from the mysteries of 



26 THE VOICE OF MY PKAYER. 

the Nativity to those of the Passion, the first 
thought is of our sins. We begin, as it were, 
with a cry from a penitential litany, "Favour- 
ably hear the prayers of Thy people,'^ for 
should He turn from us, we should be desolate 
indeed. 

II. But we are never to think of our sins 
without at the same moment thinking of the 
divine love and mercy. Each sin is paralleled 
with an offer of mercy on His part. If Lent 
is to teach us the sad story of man's sin and 
helplessness, it is also to teach us the glorious 
truth of God's mercy and power. So let us 
meditate not on our sins alone, but also on 
the love which is waiting to pardon and 
cleanse. 

III. If the double lesson of human sin 
and divine love be learned, we shall then see 
how our deliverance is to be "for the glory of 
Thy Name." O wonderful mystery of divine 
condescension that God should condition His 
glory by our deliverance from sin ! He would 
not have His image dishonoured by falling 
forever into the power of Satan. So I must 
work and pray; rooting out every evil trace, 
crushing every sin in its inception that I may 
both be delivered from sin, and also be able 
to honour my Father's name. 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 27 

Lord God, Who seest that we put not our 
trust in anything that we do; Mercifully grant 
that hy thy power we may he defended against 
all adversity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen, 

I. We call God to witness to a fact that 
must be a primary one in every Christian 
life : "Who seest that we put not our trust in 
anything that we do." Is this what God really 
sees in my daily walk? Or is the saying of 
these words a mockery of Him? But let us 
not fear to say this prayer as though it were 
condemning ourselves. God does not expect 
perfection in this life. If we earnestly desire 
to trust Him only, He will fulfil it for us in 
the end. 

II. So trusting in Him only, we ask "that 
we may be defended against all adversity." 
There is only one real adversity — sin. All 
else that men call evil can bring nothing but 
good if met in a Christian spirit. Sin alone 
can injure us. Am I realizing that the little 
daily falls are the infusion of a hellish virus, 
which in the end will slay my soul? 

III. God's power to defend us against the 
adversity of sin does not operate externally to 
us, but in and through our own human facul- 
ties. We must bring our wills into con- 
formity with His. Then the divine will, work- 



28 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

ing by means of our wills as instruments, will 
oppose itself to sin, and crush in our lives all 
that would vex or injure. 



Lord, who hast taught us that all our doings 
without charity are nothing worth; Send thy 
Holy Ghost, and pour into our hearts that most 
excellent gift of charity, the very "bond of peace 
and of all virtues, without which whosoever liveth 
is counted dead before thee. Grant this for 
thine only Son Jesus Christ's sake. Amen, 

I. On the Sunday before Lent we are 
taught to pray for love. We may be sorry 
for our sins, but without love it will be the 
sorrow of the world that worketh death. Love 
can only come through the Holy Ghost, and 
He employs the Sacraments as the means of 
shedding abroad His love in our hearts. The 
first great gift of love came in Baptism. It 
is renewed and increased with every Sacra- 
ment, with every prayer. Am I regular at the 
Sacraments, careful and prayerful in my prep- 
aration? If so, divine love is flowing in a 
steady stream into my soul. 

II. How can I tell if this "most excellent 
gift" is really mine? St. Paul in the Epistle 
for to-day shows us how to examine ourselves. 
Am I patient and kind to others? Am I en- 
vious?. Do I think much of myself? Do I 
seek my own, always demanding my rights? 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 29 

Am I easily provoked? Am I quick to think 
evil of others ? Glad to hear of others' faults ? 
The answers to these questions will show the 
strength of love within. 

III. But we all have to accuse ourselves 
of these failings. Is this a sign that there is 
no love present? Not at all. If I am hon- 
estly seeking to overcome these faults, love is 
present, and though now it be weak yet the 
struggle will strengthen it, and in the end, 
love will conquer. Seek to think, to speak, to 
do, the loving thing toward God and man, 
and all else that is pleasing to Him will follow, 
for "love is the fulfilling of the law." 



Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest 
nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the 
sins of all those who are penitent; Create and 
make in us new and contrite hearts, that we 
worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging 
our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God 
of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

1. On the first day of Lent, the Church's 
first word of prayer teaches us of divine love 
— "Who hatest nothing that Thou hast made." 
The expression is a confession of guilt, for 
why should it refer to God's mercy at all, if 
it were not that our consciences by sin are ac- 
cused ? So in the same breath we confess our 



30 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYEH. 

sins, and protest our faith in that love that 
"forgives the sins of all those who are peni- 
tent." This attitude will win for us pardon 
and life, if we persevere in it to the end. 

II. Then we offer our first Lenten peti- 
tion: "Create and make in us new and con- 
trite hearts.'^ This has in it true humility. 
We are powerless even to sorrow for our sins 
unless He of His favour gives us a new heart. 
And what a marvel it is! "Create," we ask, 
for it is a new creation of His omnipotence. 
There is nothing in me out of which can be 
formed a contrite heart. He makes it out of 
nothing. His omnipotence obeying the behest 
of His love. 

III. So with such a heart we can do our 
part toward undoing the evil of our past by 
"worthily lamenting our sin, and acknowledg- 
ing our wretchedness." So the mutual action 
of God and man is complete: He having be- 
stowed on us the contrite heart which He will 
not despise; we having acknowledged and la- 
mented our sin; the result will be sure and 
happy, and we will obtain "perfect remission 
and forgiveness." 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 31 

tbc Tir$t Sunday in Cent. 

Lord, who for our sake didst fast forty days 
and forty nights; Give us grace to use such ab- 
stinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the 
Spirit, we may ever obey thy godly motions in 
righteousness, and true holiness, to thy honour 
and glory, who livest and reignest with the Father 
and the Holy Ghost, one God world without end. 
Amen. 

I. One of the great results of the Incarna- 
tion is that now God never asks us to do any- 
thing for Him which did not find a place in 
the earthly life of His divine Son. So as we 
start on our Lenten fast we know that He felt 
the pangs of hunger, and the hardship of self- 
denial, so that all we do is done in union with 
Him. Let us remember this whenever the 
flesh cries out against the Spirit; let us hear 
His voice saying: 

"Well I know thy trouble, 

my servant true; 
Thou art very weary, 

1 was weary too." 

II. We pray that we may use such a 
degree of abstinence that our flesh may be sub- 
dued to the Spirit — that is to the Holy 
Spirit. Two great powers are contending 
within us: self-will and the Holy Spirit. 
Give Self the rein, and it will soon run away 
with us. Give place to the Holy Ghost, and 
Self will be disciplined so that we will be able 
to use it for God's glory instead of being 



32 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

enslaved by it. Which do I act upon more 
frequently, my own will, or God's will? 

III. But we do not keep Lent merely for 
the sake of denying self. This is not an object 
in itself. The final object is that we "may 
ever obey Thy godly motions," that is, by pre- 
venting selfishness having its way, we may be 
so under the rule of the Spirit that with the 
least motion of His will, we shall spring up 
to respond with an obedience that is prompt, 
easy, and sweet. 



tbc Second Sunday in Cent 

Almighty God, who seest that we have no 
power of ourselves to help ourselves; Keep us 
both outwardly in our bodies, and invmrdly in our 
souls; that toe may be defended from all adver- 
sities lohich may happen to the body, and from all 
evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the 
soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. 

I. The address to God here suggests the 
truth that while we have "no power of our- 
selves to help ourselves," we have power from 
God to help ourselves. Salvation is impossi- 
ble without God and His grace, but it is 
equally impossible without our cooperation 
with that grace. When God died on the Cross 
He secured our salvation for us once for all, 
but we by our own acts must lay hold of that 
salvation. He does not make us His sons 
regardless of our wills, but "as many as re- 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 33 

ceived Him to them gave He power to become 
the sons of God." 

H. The petition of the Collect asks defi- 
nitely and separately for blessings for body 
and soul. One is as important as the other. 
We speak often of "saving our souls." We 
should think just as carefully of the body. 
One cannot be saved without the other, and it 
is more important to guard the body because 
it is the chief channel of sin. Most sin enters 
through seeing, through hearing, through 
speaking. It is indeed difficult for us to 
imagine how we could sin without the body. 
On the other hand, our salvation came through 
the Sacrifice of the Human Body which God 
the Son took, and we are told that the salva- 
tion of the world will not be culminated until 
"the redemption of our body" (Kom. viii. 23). 
Let me not despise or neglect my body. It is 
heir of eternal life equally with my soul. 

III. The last petition is a significant one : 
that we may be defended "from all evil 
thoughts which may assault and hurt the 
soul." We are reminded that not all evil 
thoughts hurt the soul. They may assault us 
desperately and persistently, but if we fight 
against them, and refuse our consent to them, 
they help rather than hurt, for such battles are 
the spiritual exercises by which God's soldiers 
are trained. 



34 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

the tbird Sunday in Cent. 

We beseech thee, Almighty God, look upon 
the hearty desires of thy humble servants, and 
stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty, to 
be our defence against all our enemies; through 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen, 

I. We are here pleading with God, not 
on the ground of what we have done, but on 
that of our ^^hearty desires." The earnest de- 
sire of a loving heart is what God regards, 
even though we be unable through our weak- 
ness to fulfil that desire. If we have honestly 
tried and our failure is through no fault of 
ours, God credits us with what we have sought 
to do. So St. Augustine says, "The desire of 
perfection is perfection" ; that is, if I long for 
Him and His service with a sincere and perse- 
vering longing, in the end God will make me 
perfect. 

II. This thought is a great comfort, and 
so wonderful is it that it scarcely seems credi- 
ble. Yet it must be true. Our Lord com- 
mands, "Be ye therefore perfect even as your 
Father which is in heaven is perfect." He is 
never unreasonable, and this would be so if it 
were not that all He requires of me is to do 
what I can, and to leave the rest with Him. 

III. So trusting to this, we ask Him to 
"stretch forth the right hand of His Majesty 
to be our defence." He will protect and nour- 
ish us with a Father's loving care; He will 



THE VOICE OF MY PKAYER. 35 

accept our blundering efforts; He will unite 
the little we can do with the perfect work of 
His Son our Lord, thus making it perfect, for 
that which is made one with perfection be- 
comes itself perfection; and that perfect work 
will be credited to us. 



tl)c Tourtb Sunday in Unt 

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that 
we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve 
to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may 
mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ, Amen, 

I. As the solemn progress of Lent ad- 
vances, the soul, drawing nearer to Calvary 
with her Lord, is overwhelmed with a deeper 
sense of unworthiness. This Collect is a cry 
from the depths. In one sentence it is a con- 
fession of sin and an acknowledgment of the 
justice of God's judgments. If our realization 
of this is deep, what must be His realization 
who has been so deeply dishonoured by our 
evil deeds ! And how rich is that mercy which 
forgetting its own dishonour, thinks only of 
our misery and longs only to help us. 

II. Thus confessing our sins and un- 
worthiness, we ask that "by the comfort of 
Thy grace we may mercifully be relieved.'' 
We must take the word comfort not in its 
popular sense, but in its original meaning, 



36 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

to strengthen. The true lover of Christ does 
not ask merely to be soothed. He longs to 
have the strength that will enable him to 
revenge himself upon Satan. He asks not 
so much the soothing grace as the grace that 
will nerve him to face the adversary, and by 
trampling him down, make some reparation 
to our Lord for the dishonour past defeats 
caused Him. 

III. By such comfort we pray that we 
"may mercifully be relieved," for the true 
relief is not from the burden of the battle, 
but from the burden of sin. The soldier who 
in a moment of weakness has dishonoured his 
flag, is not relieved by being granted a pardon. 
To a generous heart that would but add to 
the crushing sense of unworthiness. He de- 
mands an opportunity to show his love for his 
flag by fighting for it again. Let the soldiers 
of Christ not repine if the goodness of God 
grants them a like relief. 



tDc TfftI) Sunday in Cent 

We beseech thee. Almighty God, mercifully 
to look upon thy people; that by thy great good- 
ness they may be governed and preserved ever- 
more, both in body and soul; through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen, 

I. "Mercifully look upon Thy people." 
There are no richer promises in Holy Scrip- 
ture than those given to faithful souls who by 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 37 

their obedience have become worthy to be 
called God's people. Their honour He guards 
as His own. And yet it was to "His own" 
that He came, "and His own received Him 
not." Am I better than they? Am I liv- 
ing worthy of the honour of being one of 
His people? 

II. "Look upon thy people." If He but 
look, that will suffice. When St. Peter denied 
Him, the Lord "turned and looked on Peter," 
"and he went out and wept bitterly." O that 
He might look on us with His loving gaze 
when we sin; then will our hearts be broken 
and contrite; then will He not despise our 
penitence. 

III. So by the power of a look we are 
"governed and preserved evermore." If we 
can but realize that His eye is ever on us in 
love, and that He grieves when we sin, we shall 
by that thought be restrained from evil and 
preserved for His kingdom. He has said, 
"I will guide thee with Mine eye." If we 
give ourselves to this loving guidance, then 
too will come to pass that further promise 
which He gives when He says, "and after 
that receive thee with glory." 



38 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYEE. 

tbc Sunday next Before Ca$ter« 

Almighty and everlasting God, who, of thy 
tender love towards mankind, hast sent thy Son, 
our Saviour Jesus Christ, to take upon him our 
flesh, and to suffer death upon the cross, that all 
mankind should follow the example of his great 
humility; Mercifully grant, that we may both 
follow the example of his patience, and also he 
made partakers of his resurrection; through the 
same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen, 

I. The thought of the divine love deepens 
as we approach the Passion. We remind our- 
selves that it was His "tender love towards 
mankind'^ that wrought the great work of the 
Incarnation and Kedemption; it was God's 
love to sinners that caused Him to send His 
Son to die on the Cross. "God so loved the 
world/' — the world lying in wickedness, — 
"that He gave His only begotten Son to the 
end that all that believe in Him should not 
perish, but have everlasting life." 

II. Dwelling upon His tender love and all 
it has wrought that we might follow the ex- 
ample of His great humility, let us ask our- 
selves at the beginning of Holy Week, am I 
really striving to follow Him, and if not, do I 
realize then that so far as I am concerned all 
the tremendous work of Good Friday, was a 
vain and futile thing? Is it nothing to us 
that we should be recorded in the records of 
heaven, and, — dread thought, — in the records 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 39 

of hell, as despising Jesus Christ, His Love 
and His work? 

III. What is the example He offers? 
"When He was reviled, He reviled not again" ; 
I, too, must be patient, as He was patient, with 
my daily crosses and annoyances. But in His 
love. He does not ask me only to follow His 
patience. He would also make me partaker of 
His Resurrection. This is the great end. Am 
I by my patience becoming ever more worthy 
to rise with Him ? 



monday Before easten 

Almighty and everlasting God, who of thy 
tender love towards mankind, hast sent thy Son, 
our Saviour Jesus Christ, to take upon him our 
flesh, and to suffer death upon the cross, that all 
mankind should follow the example of his great 
humility; Mercifully grant, that we may both 
follow the example of his patience, and also he 
made partakers of his resurrection; through 
the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen, 

I. Let us consider the love of the Passion, 
— "Thy tender love towards mankind." The 
love of God is not a stern love. A father may 
love his children very really and yet there may 
be no tenderness toward them. Not so with 
our Father. Hear His voice, full of all plead- 
ing gentleness: "Son, give Me thine heart"; 
"I have loved thee with an everlasting love"; 
and of my soul He says : "I will allure her and 



40 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

bring her into the wilderness, and will speak 
comfortably unto her." 

II. There are those who think of the 
Father as stern and relentless, and of the Son 
as loving and tender, staying the Father's 
wrathful hand from chastising us. But they 
do not know our God. Our Lord did nothing 
without His Father. There was no pang of 
love in His all-loving Heart that did not 
thrill also in the Father's bosom. 

III. Meditate on the long-suffering love 
God has for us. "He loved me and gave Him- 
self for me," and yet I daily forget and violate 
His love. Yet it never tires. His mercies 
"are new every morning" and "His compas- 
sions fail not" (Lam. iii. 22, 23). When I 
think of His generous love upon the cross, and 
the unwearied tenderness with which He 
follows me, and never gives me up, it would 
seem that very shame would drive me to His 
feet in heart-broken penitence. 



tucsday Before €a$ten 

Almighty and everlasting God, who, of thy 
tender love towards mankind, hast sent thy Son, 
our Saviour Jesus Christ, to take upon him our 
flesh, and to suffer death upon the cross, that all 
mankind should follow the example of his great 
humility; Mercifully grant, that we may both 
follow the example of his patience, and also he 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 41 

made partakers of his resurrection; through the 
same Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen 

I. The Passion is to us "the example of 
His great humility." The chief lesson He has 
to teach is humility. "Learn of Me," He says, 
"for I am meek and lowly in heart." Have I 
learned this of Him? Am I patient under 
disappointment or rebuke? Or do anger and 
pride flame within my heart, and burst forth in 
bitter words, or fill my soul with thoughts 
of hate? 

II. It would be impossible to imagine our 
Lord hanging on the cross, replying in bitter 
revilings to the taunts of those who passed by. 
We shrink with horror from such a picture; 
to let it rest for a minute in our minds, would, 
we feel, be blasphemy. But are we who are 
members of His Body, flesh of His flesh, and 
bone of His bones, who have "the mind of 
Christ" who dwells in us and we in Him — are 
we humble as He was on the Cross ? 

III. The only way to become humble is to 
use His grace so that we can by our wills force 
ourselves to be patient under humiliations. It 
will be hard but no harder than it was for 
Him. The world hates the virtue of meek- 
ness, but without it we cannot become like 
our Lord. 



42 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

mcdnesday Before 6a$ter. 

Almighty and everlasting God, who, of thy 
tender love towards mankind, hast sent thy Son, 
our Saviour Jesus Christ, to take upon him our 
flesh, and to suffer death upon the cross, that all 
mankind should follow the example of his great 
humility; Mercifully grant that we may both 
follow the example of his patience, and also he 
made partakers of his resurrection; through the 
same Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen, 

I. Not only did our Lord show forth in- 
finite love and humility on the Cross, but He 
also gave us, "the example of His patience." 
No virtue can avail us in the long run unless 
patience be combined with it. The persever- 
ing soul must be the patient soul, full of the 
charity which "endureth all things." The zeal 
of a resentful, impatient spirit quickly burns 
out, and leaves it in the darkness of sin. 

II. Our Lord's patience with His enemies 
was based on His expectation of their reforma- 
tion. How gloriously was His long-suffering 
with them rewarded! Before half-a-year had 
passed, "a great company of the priests were 
obedient to the faith" (Acts vi. 7), the very 
men who had sought His life, giving in their 
allegiance to the Church. My influence for 
good in the world is small. Would it not be 
greater if I were gentler and more patient 
with those I seek to lead? 

III. Consider how patience, in its various 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 43 

aspects, is ranked in Holy Scripture. It is the 
virtue that is declared to have a "perfect work" 
(James i. 4) ; St. John mentions it especially 
as a bond of brotherhood in Christ (Rev. i. 9) ; 
in the Revelation, three out of the seven 
Churches of Asia are commended for their 
patience; our Lord spoke of it as the virtue 
necessary to bringing forth fruit that will re- 
main (St. Luke viii. 15) ; and repeatedly it is 
named by the Holy Spirit as an essential char- 
acteristic of our Saviour (2 Thess. iii. 5; Rev. 
1, 9; Rev. 3, 10). Surely such a virtue is 
worthy of strenuous cultivation. 



tbursday Before Easter. 

Almighty and everlasting God, who, of thy 
tender love toicards mankind, hast sent thy Son, 
our Saviour Jesus Christ, to take upon him our 
flesh, and to suffer death upon the cross, that all 
mankind should follow the example of his great 
humility; Mercifully grant that we may both 
follow the example of his patience, and also he 
made partakers of his resurrection; through the 
same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen, 

I. Through the gathering shadows of the 
Passion there shines a ray of the glory that 
shall be revealed. We have thought of suffer- 
ing love, of humility under insult, of patience 
under wrong. We are to follow Christ in all 
these, that we might be made partakers of His 
Resurrection, and the Holy Spirit declares 
that "our light affliction, which is but for a 



44 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding 
and eternal weight of glory." We suffer little, 
we gain all. Surely the reward is worth the 
price. 

II. On this day the divine love instituted 
the Blessed Eucharist, in which we receive the 
risen, ascended and glorified Body of our Lord. 
Thus even before the time, we are made par- 
takers, in the Holy Communion, of His Resur- 
rection. His love could not wait; He must 
give Himself to us now to encourage us with 
this foretaste of the glory of the Vision and 
banquet of heaven. 

III. All this has He done, because He 
wants my love. Am I giving it to Him ? Are 
my daily words and acts influenced by the 
love I have for Him? To-morrow we shall 
stand beside the Cross; let us go to Calvary 
crying in our hearts, "Jesus, I love Thee, and 
I want to love Thee more !" 



Good Jrmy. 

Almighty God, we beseech thee graciously to 
behold this thy family, for which our Lord Jesus 
Christ was contented to be betrayed, and given 
up into the hands of wicked men, and to suffer 
death upon the cross, who now liveth and reigneth 
with thee and the Holy Ghost ever, one God, 
world without end. Amen, 

Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit 
the whole body of the Church is governed and 
sanctified; Receive our supplications and pray- 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 45 

ersj which we offer "before thee for all estates 
of men in thy Holy Church, that every member 
of the same, in his vocation and ministry, may 
truly and godly serve thee; through our Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Merciful God, who hast made all men, a/nd 
hatest nothing that thou hast made, nor desirest 
the death of a sinner, but rather that he should 
be converted and live; Have mercy upon all Jews, 
Turks, Infidels and Heretics; and take from them 
all ignorance, hardness of heart, and contempt 
of thy Word; and so fetch them home, blessed 
Lord, to thy flock, that they may be saved among 
the remnant of the true Israelites, and be made 
one fold under one shepherd, Jesus Christ our 
Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the 
Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen. 

I. The Church gives us these collects for 
Good Friday, representing three aspects of the 
all-embracing love of Jesus on the Cross. The 
first collect repeats the petition of two Sun- 
days previous, that God would look upon His 
people. But here in the midst of the Passion 
the depth of the divine tenderness is more ap- 
parent. We no more ask that He look upon 
His people, but upon His family; and so great 
was the divine love for His family that for it 
the eternal Son was contented to be betrayed 
and to suffer death on the Cross. Note the 
word contented. Its meaning is, being filled 
full. Life was never so real and full and 
rounded out to our Lord as when He was giv- 
ing up Himself for love of us. Is life fullest 



46 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

and richest to me when I am engaged in some 
unselfish work, sacrificing my own will for love 
of God? 

II. In the next collect the divine love is 
seen to extend still further out not only for 
His family, those who are close to Him in 
actual faith and love, but for all estates of 
men in His Holy Church; for, whether they 
be faithful or not, all are dear to the Heart 
of the Crucified. The thought here presented 
to us as we stand by the Cross, startles us. 
We pray that "every member of the same in 
his vocation and ministry may truly and godly 
serve Thee." We think of vocation applying 
only to special states of life, but every member 
of Christ has his divinely appointed vocation. 
Am I carrying out my vocation day by day in 
a faithful service to Him? 

III. But our Lord died not only for His 
own family, not only for every member of His 
Church, faithful or unfaithful, but even for 
those who neither know Him nor wish to know 
Him. So with somewhat of His own love, we 
pray for "mercy upon all Jews, Turks, Infidels 
and Heretics." To fetch is not to call or to 
send for, but it is personally to go after and 
bring back. Thus do we pray our Lord to go 
after those who know Him not, and like the 
Good Shepherd fetch them home to His 
Father's house. 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 47 

€a$ter €ijen» 

Grantj O Lord, that as we are baptized into 
the death of thy blessed Son our Saviour Jesus 
Christ, so by continual mortifying our corrupt 
affections, we may be buried vnth him; and that 
through the grave, and gate of death, we may 
pass to our joyful resurrection; for his merits, 
who died and was buried, and rose again for us, 
thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 

I. Having looked upon His death yester- 
day, to-day we recall that we are baptized into 
His death. We have really died with Christ a 
death unto sin. This was not our own act. 
We were passive under the mighty grace of 
Baptism as the power of regeneration flowed 
into us and made us new men by uniting us 
with His Body. Am I making this a reality? 
Am. I dying daily to some sin? Baptism will 
be only for my greater condemnation if I am 
not laying hold of its real benefits. 

II. Mine must not only be a dying with 
Christ once for all in Baptism, but the con- 
tinual mortification (i. e., putting to death), 
of my corrupt affections. When a body is 
buried it means that there is absolutely no 
further hope that there is life in it. When we 
are buried with Christ it should mean that 
Satan can have no further hope of ever reviv- 
ing the life of sin in us. Am I by my failing 
to mortify my corrupt affections holding out 
the hope to Satan that he might yet be able to 
revive his power in me? 



48 THE VOICE OF MY PEAYER. 

III. A true and continual death unto sin 
is the gate of eternal life. If the solemnities 
of yesterday and to-day are the pledge of my 
daily death unto sin, those of to-morrow will 
be the pledge of my joyful resurrection. There 
can be no real resurrection unless there has 
been a real death; no rising to immortal life 
unless there is a real slaying of sin wherever 
it shows itself. 



Caster Day» 

Almighty God, who through thine only be- 
gotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death, and 
opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; We 
humbly beseech thee that, as by thy special grace 
preventing us thou dost put into our minds good 
desires, so by thy continual help we may bring the 
same to good effect; through Jesus Christ our 
Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the 
Holy Ohost ever, one God, world without end. 
Amen, 

I. We to-day appeal to God in virtue of 
the greatest work He has ever done for man, 
namely the overcoming of death. This morn- 
ing He broke the bonds of death and rose to 
His joyful Kesurrection. But He did not will 
to be alone in this joy. He desires to have 
His loved ones with Him: "Where I am, there 
also shall my servant be." So by death He has 
overcome death, and opened unto us the gate 
of everlasting life. Let me resolve this day to 
do some definite act of kindness to another to 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 49 

show God that I am thankful for His goodness 
to me. 

n. Christ by His death and Resurrection, 
has finished His part of the work of redemp- 
tion. The rest depends on how earnestly we 
lay hold of His salvation. Am I cooperating 
with Him, "striving to enter in at the strait 
gate," earnest, deeply serious, day by day about 
my religion? Or am I drifting aimlessly 
along, hoping that somehow in the end it will 
come out right? 

III. I cannot keep this great feast better 
than by firmly resolving to make each day of 
my life an Easter, a time of death unto sin, 
and rising again to righteousness. By the daily 
conquest of some temptation, by daily acts of 
love, I can go on from strength to strength, 
and this will mean for me the resurrection of 
the just, a corresponding progress from glory 
to glory in the Kingdom of God. 



monday in €a$tcr Olech.'' 

Godf who for our redemption didst give 
thine only-hegotten Son to the death of the Cross, 
and by his glorious resurrection hast delivered us 
from the power of our enemy ; Grant us so to die 
daily from sin, that we may evermore live with 
him in the joy of his resurrection; through the 
same Christ our Lord, Amen, 



* This day having no special collect, the second 
for Easter-day is here used. 



50 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

I. We are here reminded that there could 
have been no Easter without Good Friday, no 
Resurrection without the Cross and Passion. 
We are called to follow our Lord in the same 
path. If we would be glorified with Him, we 
must suffer with Him. Let me resolve to 
think of the first little annoyance which 
comes to-day as a part of the preparation God 
has ordained that I might be made ready to 
share His glory. 

IL By His Resurrection He has "delivered 
us from the power of our enemy.'' And what 
a great power is that! Of myself I should 
have no means of keeping myself out of 
Satan's snare, but it is not of myself that I 
am fighting. By His glorious Resurrection 
Christ has conquered Satan, and if I do His 
will, on the battle-field of my heart He will 
crush Satan again as He did on the Cross. 

III. But to lay hold of this deliverance, I 
must "die daily from sin." Because Lent is 
over does not mean that I can rest from effort. 
The self-denial and devotion of Lent are more 
than useless if they do not lift me to a per- 
manently higher plane of Christian living. 
The Lent just ended may be my last. Let me 
this day in the power of my Lenten grace 
strike a blow at some besetting sin, that I 
might combine the strength that comes from 
victory with the joy of Easter-tide. 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 51 

Cucsday in €a$ter UPeek. 

Almighty God, who through thine only-he- 
gotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death, and 
opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; We 
humbly beseech thee that, as by thy special grace 
preventing us thou dost put into our minds good 
desires, so by thy continual help we may bring 
the same to good effect; through Jesus Christ 
our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and 
the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end. 
Amen. 

I. Now that Christ has finished His work, 
and wrought so great a salvation, it remains 
for us to lay hold of it ; but nevertheless with- 
out Him we can do nothing. We cannot turn 
to God, save "by His special grace preventing 
us," and by His "putting into our minds good 
desires." How humble must the thought of 
my own worthlessness make me! How great- 
ful the thought of the tender goodness of our 
God! 

II. His grace does indeed prevent us, it 
goes before, it is on every side. A thousand 
daily opportunities are offered whereby we may 
become the more united to Him. Everything 
can be used as a means of gaining spiritual 
strength ; — the smallest routine duty, the little 
temptations that beset me, every occasion for 
a kindly smile or word. God has prepared 
them all in His love to give me opportunities 
for added graces. Is my heart so cold as not 
to respond magnanimously to such a love ? 



52 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

III. But this does not complete the work- 
ing of His love. Not only is His grace on 
every hand, not only does He put into our 
minds desires for what is good and holy, but 
He gives us His continual help that we might 
hring them to good effect. The last and best 
effect will be the resurrection of the just ; that 
will be the crowning reward for a faithful life 
of warfare against Satan. To what sin shall 
I die this day in loving memorial of His 
glorious Resurrection? 



Cbe Tirst Sunday after Caster* 

Almighty Father, who hast given thine only 
Son to die for our sins, and to rise again for our 
justification; Grant us so to put away the leaven 
of malice and wickedness, that we may always 
serve thee in pureness of living and truth; 
through the merits of the same thy Son Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. 

I. The enthusiasm of the Easter gladness 
is now beginning to settle down into a perma- 
nent quality in our hearts. The first glow of 
festival joy never endures, but if the glow has 
arisen from real kindling of a new fire within, 
then when the first flush is past, it will leave 
a depth of burning love that many waters will 
not quench. We look back now to the Resur- 
rection and reflect that He "rose again for our 
justiflcation." But I must lay hold on this 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 53 

justification. I must work out my own salva- 
tion with fear and trembling. 

II. His service is to be a practical "put- 
ting away the leaven of malice and wicked- 
ness," the definite breaking off of sinful habits. 
Sin is never inactive within me. At every mo- 
ment it is either on the increase or decrease. 
If not constantly checked, like leaven it will 
spread and fill my whole life with corruption 
and poison. 

III. The practical "putting away the 
leaven of malice and wickedness" will be the 
bringing in of "pureness of living and truth." 
Note the opposition between leaven and pure- 
ness. My soul is made for God, and if I 
sweep out the corrupt leaven His pureness 
will immediately and naturally flow in, and 
possess all my being. If this Easter-tide is to 
mean anything to me, it must mark a perma- 
nent increase in this pureness of living and 
truth, bringing something more than a passing 
and evanescent grace gained only to be frit- 
tered away in the coming conflicts of the suc- 
ceeding weeks. 



tbc Second Sunday after €a$ter. 

Almighty God, who hast given thine only Son 
to he unto us both a sacrifice for sin, and also 
an ensample of godly life; Give us grace that 
we may always most thankfully receive that his 
inestimable benefit, and also daily endeavour our- 



54 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

selves to follow the Messed steps of his most holy 
life; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen, 

I. God sent His Son not only to be "a 
Sacrifice for sin," i. e., to take away our past 
sins, but also to be "an ensample of godly 
life." Small gain would it be to us to have 
our sins taken away if we were not taught 
how henceforth to avoid sin. He has set me 
the example. Is there a conscious effort to 
model my daily life on His ? 

II. The first petition is for a thankful 
heart. Without His Sacrifice we would have 
gone through life either in a blind and giddy 
whirl of earthly follies, or walking along a 
path of black despair. But now life is full 
of light and hope. Are we realizing more and 
more that this salvation is indeed an "in- 
estimable benefit?" If we are, then day by 
day life will be full of thankful love. 

III. The thankful life is the persevering 
life. We are to show our gratitude by doing 
His will, by daily endeavoring to follow His 
blessed steps. There must be a genuine, 
honest endeavor. God does not demand much 
of us, but He does demand that we make a 
real effort daily to follow the "ensample of 
godly life" His Son has left us. 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 55 

the third Sunday after €a$ter. 

Almighty God, who shotvest to them that are 
in error the light of thy truth, to the intent that 
they may return into the vmy of righteousness ; 
Grant unto all those who are admitted into the 
fellowship of Christ's religion, that they may 
avoid those things that are contrary to their 
profession, and follow all such things as are 
agreeable to the same; through our Lord Jesus 
Christ. Amen. 

I. We have all fallen into error, but it is 
a part of Faith to hold that God gives to every- 
one enough light to bring him back into "the 
way of righteousness." Am I using the light 
that comes to me with every Sacrament, every 
prayer, every reading of my Bible, every ser- 
mon I hear, so that each day I am walking 
more really in the way of righteousness? 
Wherein am I practically better because of 
my last Communion? 

II. The two petitions in the collect cover 
all Christian obligations. First, we must 
avoid everything contrary to our profession 
as Christians ; not only sin, but every occasion 
that may lead to sin. Every companion I 
have, every book I read, every amusement in 
which I indulge, which may lead me to sin, 
is contrary to my Christian profession, and 
must be avoided. 

m. We also ask for grace to follow all 
such things as are agreeable to our profession. 
This means a systematic, positive work of 



56 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

bringing good and holy thoughts, words and 
deeds into our daily life. We are not only to 
"eschew evil," but to "seek good,'' to seek it 
earnestly, not merely waiting for chance op- 
portunities for loving words and actions to 
present themselves. 



tbe Tourti) Suna^y after eastcn 

Almighty God, who alone canst order the 
unruly wills and affections of sinful men; Grant 
unto thy people, that they may love the thing 
which thou commandest, and desire that which 
thou dost promise; that so, among the sundry 
and manifold changes of the world, our hearts 
may surely there he fixed, where true joys are 
to he found; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. 

I. God alone can bring order and tran- 
quility of the chaos of our unruly wills and 
affections. But first, it is necessary for me 
to give up my will to Him. He will not force 
my will even in response to prayer. If I, by 
the power of His grace, bring my will into 
obedience to Him in the little things of daily 
life, then will my affections be set on Him, 
and more and more shall I be able to obey 
Him because of my love for Him. 

II. The first petition is that we "may love 
the thing which Thou commandest." God's 
commands are always for our good, and we 
naturally love those things which will benefit 
us. If we understand, then, that His love 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 57 

lays His commands on us only that we might 
be helped, we should soon learn to love His law 
as being that which alone can work our good 
in time and eternity. 

III. The desire we are to have for the 
things He promises must be a deep, passionate 
desire, even "as the hart desireth the water- 
brooks." Real desire brings real effort, and 
real effort after that which God has prepared 
for us can never fail of success ; and such suc- 
cess will be nothing less than the attainment 
of those true joys which can be found only in 
His Kingdom. Do I really desire the good 
things He promises? Am I really striving 
diligently after them? 



tbe Tiftb Sunaay after ea$tcr« 

Lord, from whom all good things do come; 
Grant to us thy humble servants, that hy thy 
holy inspiration we may think those things that 
are good, and by thy merciful guiding may per- 
form the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ, 
Amen. 

I. Let us first ask, by what means do all 
good things come from God? They come "by 
His holy inspiration." This speaks to us of 
the Holy Ghost, whose work is to inspire our 
hearts with the desire for these good things, as 
we thought last Sunday. Am I listening for 
His voice? When there is an impulse in my 
heart towards what is good, do I always follow 



58 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

it, remembering that sueli an impulse is the 
voice of the Holy Ghost, His holy inspiration ? 

II. The first effect of His holy inspiration 
is to cause us to "think those things that are 
good." We are to bring every thought into 
captivity to Him, seeking to let no suggestion 
rest in our minds which we could not imagine 
our Lord entertaining. Guard well thy 
thoughts. Most of our sins are sins of 
thought. 

III. Thought expresses itself in words 
and actions. If I think only what is good and 
pure, my words and deeds will be good and 
pure in God's sight. His merciful guiding 
will then lead me to the performance of my 
intentions, and resolutions, and my life will 
daily grow more like the perfect life of my 
Saviour. 



Ascension Day« 

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that 
like as ice do believe thy only-hegotten Son our 
Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into the 
heavens; so we may also in heart and mind 
thither ascend, and with him continually dwell, 
who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy 
Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen, 

I. This collect bases everything on Faith. 
"Like as we do believe," are our words. We 
believe He is in the heaven of heavens, the 
first of our race to come to that blessed place ; 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 59 

that He is interceding for' ns ; that He is pre- 
paring a place for us ; that He sends thence to 
us the gifts of the Holy Ghost. With what 
joy of heart should we realize these truths at 
this feast! With our Ascended Lord doing 
these great things for us, how sure and glori- 
ous a salvation is ours ! 

II. Acting on our faith in His heavenly 
work for us, we must in heart and mind thither 
ascend. "Hearts in heaven,'' must be the 
Christian motto. I shall be able to live by 
such a motto if my treasure is there, "for 
where my treasure is, there will my heart be 
also." Is He the chief treasure I long for. 
He who has said, "I am thy exceeding great 
reward ?" 

III. I must not only ascend with my 
Lord, but I must "with Him continually 
dwell,'' that is, without interruption. Any- 
thing else but heaven unfits me for the heav- 
enly companionship. Sin takes my heart from 
heaven, and I am not to think I can easily 
return when I have deliberately wandered 
away. So I must strenuously resist even the 
slightest approach to sin. 



Sunday after jflKension Day« 

God the King of glory, who hast exalted 
thine only Son Jesus Christ mth great triumph 
unto thy kingdom in heaven; We "beseech thee 
leave us not comfortless; hut send to us thine 



60 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us unto 
the same place whither our Saviour Christ is 
gone before, who liveth and reigneth with thee 
and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. 
Amen, 

I. The exaltation of our Lord to heaven 
was the ground of the Apostles' hope during 
these days between the Ascension and Pente- 
cost. They had seen their Lord go into heaven 
with great triumph. They knew His promise 
could not fail. He had ascended on high to 
receive gifts for men. So they waited and 
longed and prayed. We are waiting on God. 
His gifts are promised us. Are we longing 
and praying ? Are our hearts athirst for God ? 
Only the hearts that hunger and thirst can 
be filled. 

U, "Leave us not comfortless." It is the 
cry of a longing heart, but a cry that has no 
tone of doubt. He said, "I will not leave you 
comfortless; I will come to you;" so we hope 
with a supernatural hope. Human hope is 
full of doubt. We say, "Oh, I hope so;" and 
the very tone of voice implies doubt. But the 
true Christian knows not doubt, for his hope 
is the steadfast expectation of those things 
which are sure to come to pass. The great 
question for me is. Am I a true Christian? 

III. Our final hope is to be exalted with 
Him. Then there will be no more possibility 
of falling from Him; no more sin; no more 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 61 

fear; no more anxiety; but perfect rest and 
peace in the bosom of our God. How glorious 
is the Christian hope! Is it not worth wait- 
ing for, is it not worth suffering for ? 



Olbitsunday. 

God, who as at this time didst teach the 
hearts of thy faithful people, hy sending to them 
the light of thy Holy Spirit; Grant us "by the same 
Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and 
evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through 
the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour, who liveth 
and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same 
Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen. 

I. On Pentecost, the Church's birthday, 
God the Holy Ghost taught the hearts of His 
faithful people. We are apt to think of the 
work of teaching as being directed to the 
mind, but it is not so in spiritual things. 
Unless our hearts are first instructed in love 
and humility, our minds can never become 
wise unto salvation, whatever earthly wisdom 
we may acquire. Hear the words of our Lord, 
''Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in 
heart," 

IL Think of the kind of people whose 
hearts God taught. They were faithful, that 
is, trustworthy, people. God trusted them to 
teach rightly the truth by word and example. 
How loyal they were to the trust ! Men heard 
them, and cried, "What shall we do?" Men 



62 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

saw their behaviour, and "took knowledge of 
them that they had been with Jesus'' (Acts iv. 
13). Is it so with me? My name of Christian 
is either an honour or a dishonour to God, ac- 
cording as I am true or false to Him in my 
daily life. 

III. They were faithful also in that they 
steadfastly believed what our Lord had prom- 
ised. They waited, and though the days went 
by, their fervour was not cooled, because He 
who had given them the promise of the Father 
could not lie. Satan often tempts me to be 
discouraged, and to yield to this temptation is 
equal to declaring that I believe not the word 
God has spoken, saying, "I will never leave 
thee, nor forsake thee." 



monaay in Olbitsun-Ulech. 

God, who as at this time didst teach the 
hearts of thy faithful people, by sending to them 
the light of thy Holy Spirit; Grant us by the 
same Spirit to have a right judgment in all 
things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy com- 
fort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our 
Saviour, loho liveth and reigneth with thee, in the 
unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without 
end. Amen, 

I. Let us consider some of the marks of 
the faithfulness of the little company in the 
upper room on Pentecost. (1) They all con- 
tinued in prayer. They did not weary day 
nor night through these ten days in supplicat- 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 63 

ing their heavenly Father. How marvellously 
did He answer them "when the day of Pente- 
cost was fully come." We weary of prayer in 
a short half-hour, and then wonder that 
prayer seems unanswered. We set times and 
seasons for God, forgetting that He will surely 
answer, but not till His own time be fully 
come. 

II. They showed their faithfulness (2) by 
a loving unity of spirit. Twice we are told 
that they continued in prayer with one accord. 
Love smooths out all differences. We are 
always very patient with the shortcomings of 
those we love. If I find myself critical and 
impatient with my brethren, it means a want 
of love, and when love is wanting the soul can 
have no Pentecost, for there the blessed com- 
fort of the Spirit cannot come. 

III. Thirdly, their faithfulness is shown 
by the i)atience of their waiting. They per- 
severed and were ready to persevere many days 
more. The Apostle promises a rich harvest 
of blessing to those who "faint not." Do I 
faint in my waiting on God, and for the com- 
fort He has promised, or do I tarry the Lord's 
leisure, sure that His love can never fail me? 



64 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

tucsaay in Olbitsun-aieck* 

Gody who as at this time didst teach the 
hearts of thy faithful people, by sending to them 
the light of thy Holy Spirit; Grant us hy the 
same Spirit to have a right judgment in all 
things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy com- 
fort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our 
Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in 
the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world 
without end. Amen, 

I. We received the Holy Ghost when we 
were baptized, but our further instruction de- 
pends on our response to His calls. Every 
slightest impulse of my heart toward what is 
good and holy in His call. Do I answer 
promptly, and do His bidding; or do I sloth- 
fully delay, or even deliberately refuse and 
quench the Spirit's voice? 

II. The heart that will not hearken, can- 
not be taught. God teaches nothing but by 
the Holy Ghost. Let my motto be, "I will 
hearken what the Lord God will say concern- 
ing me.'' To hearken and do, is my only 
hope of becoming wise unto salvation, for, as 
in school, each little lesson must be learned 
as a preparation for the next. 

III. We ask two definite things for our- 
selves : (1) A right judgment, and (2) as fol- 
lowing upon that, the joy of His holy comfort. 
We may have, by nature, a poor judgment in 
earthly things, but if we listen constantly for 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. m 

His voice we shall, in things spiritual, have 
more and more a judgment that will not err, 
because it will be directed by God Himself. 
He will tell us what to say and do, and what 
greater joy can there be than the conscious- 
ness that we are daily becoming less liable to 
make a wrong decision in the things that are 
eternally important. 



Crinity Sunday* 

Almighty and everldsting God, who hast given 
unto us thy servants grace, hy the confession of 
a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eter- 
nal Trinity, and in the power of the Divine Maj- 
esty to worship the Unity; We beseech thee that 
thou wouldest keep us stedfast in this faith, and 
evermore defend us from all adversities, who 
livest and reignest, one God, world without end. 
Amen. 

I. No human mind can fathom the mys- 
tery that there are three Persons in the one. 
God, but by yielding up our hearts "as little 
children," as our Lord tells us. He will give 
us the grace and power to believe, and believ- 
ing, to worship the Adorable Trinity in spirit 
and in truth. This belief and worship must 
be constantly practised if it is to be deepened. 
I must turn often to my heavenly Father; 
I must love and trust my Redeemer; I must 
talk familiarly with the Holy Ghost, whose 
work is to sanctify me more and more. Am I 
doing this daily? 



66 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

II. Only one condition is necessary to 
God's keeping us steadfast in this faith. That 
is that we trust in Him in all things. When 
temptation comes, if we lose heart and think 
there is no use to try, we are failing to trust 
His strength. If in times of trouble we cry 
out against our lot, it means that we think 
God is not dealing with us as a loving Father 
should. These failures undermine our faith, 
and bring in the end spiritual coldness and 
death. 

III. St. John says: "This is the victory 
that overcometh the world, even our faith." 
No adversity can overcome us, no temptation 
ensnare us if we know our faith and act on 
it daily. If I have a true and living faith 
in the power and love of Father, Son, and 
Holy Ghost, then I know that in the end all 
must come right. The world may contend 
against me, but I know with an absolute and 
joyful certainty that "we are more than con- 
querors through Him that loved us." 



tbe first Sunday after trinity. 

God, the strength of all those who put their 
trust in thee; Mercifully accept our prayers; 
and because, through the weakness of our mor- 
tal nature, we can do no good thing without thee, 
grant us the help of thy grace, that in keeping 
thy commandments we may please thee, both in 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 67 

will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, 
Amen, 

I. In the beginning of this Collect we ac- 
cept the condition God lays upon us : if we are 
to have His strength we must trust in Him; 
and His strength will be exerted in our behalf 
only in proportion as we trust in Him; as we 
say in the Te Deum: "Let Thy mercy be 
upon us, as our trust is in Thee/' So it de- 
pends on me how far divine omnipotence is to 
be put forth to help me in the day of adversity. 

II. The chief need I have of divine aid, 
however, is in living a righteous life, for "we 
can do no good thing without Thee." We are 
thus reminded of two great facts which must 
never be forgotten: first, our inability to do 
good of ourselves; and, second, God's ability 
and willingness to help us. Of ourselves, we 
can do nothing; but "I can do all things 
through Christ which strengtheneth me." 

III. Lastly, we are reminded of the pur- 
pose we have in view : namely, that of pleasing 
Him, "both in will and deed," that is, both in 
our desires and in what we actually accom- 
plish. But the two things, "will" and "deed," 
are mentioned distinctly because actual re- 
sults are not what God demands of His chil- 
dren. We may not be able to develop our 
plans into deeds, but if we will to please Him, 
all will be well. 



68 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

tbe Second Sunday after trinity* 

Lord, mho never failest to help and govern 
those whom thou dost bring up in thy stedfast 
fear and love; Keep us, we beseech thee, under 
the protection of thy good providence, and make 
us to have a perpetual fear and love of thy holy 
Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen, 

I. The Collect is an echo of the divine 
promise, "I will never leave thee nor forsake 
thee." To whom is He speaking? To those 
who have allowed themselves to be taught in 
the school of "stedfast fear and love." Have 
I a holy fear of God? Not a cringing fear, 
but an instinctive shrinking horror at the 
thought of offending one who loves me so 
deeply ? Holy fear does not mean being afraid 
of our loving God, but being afraid of doing 
anything that would wound or dishonour Him. 

II. Holy fear and love are linked together. 
We fear to offend God because we love Him so 
much. To be afraid of Him as of one who 
might hurt us, is a great dishonour to Him, 
for while confessing Him we are then attribut- 
ing to Him qualities which no loving father 
could possess. Do I always remember how 
tender my loving, heavenly Father's heart is 
towards me. His poor, erring child? 

III. So, realizing what true fear and love 
for our Father are, and their necessity in our 
hearts, we ask Him to keep us in "a perpetual 
fear and love" of His Holy Name. This is a 
prayer for final perseverance. 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 69 

tbe tbird Sunday after trinity. 

Lord, we beseech thee mercifully to hear 
us; and grant that we, to whom thou hast given 
an hearty desire to pray, may, by thy mighty 
aid, be defended and comforted in all dangers 
and adversities; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen, 

I. We are never to forget that power to 
pray is a gift from God. "We know not what 
we should pray for as we ought.'' The dis- 
ciples' petition, "Lord, teach us to pray," must 
be ever in our hearts. We repine at the 
languidness of our prayers and at our constant 
distraction. Is it not too often our own fault, 
because we do not ask for help in this most 
difficult of exercises ? 

II. If we have a hearty desire to pray, 
there will be a real effort to pray. We always 
try earnestly for those things which we heart- 
ily desire. If there is a want of hearty effort 
in our prayers, it means that there is a want 
of hearty desire to draw near to God. House 
up by God's help, the true desire, and the 
effort will follow ; and God never allows one to 
fail who really tries. 

III. What is real prayer? It is inter- 
course with God, either speaking to Him or 
in the silence of our hearts, listening to His 
voice. Prayer is not to be a constant request 
to him to supply our too-often selfish desires. 
If we can say^ "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant 



70 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

heareth/' it will be an acceptable prayer that 
will bring its blessing. 



tbc Tourtb Sunday after trinity* 

Ood, the protector of all that trust in thee, 
xoithout lohom nothing is strong, nothing is 
holy; Increase and multiply upon us thy mercy; 
that, thou being our ruler and guide, we may 
so pass through things temporal, that we finally 
lose not the things eternal. Grant this hea- 
venly Father, for Jesus Christ's sake our Lord. 
Amen, 

I. We address God to-day as ^Hhe pro- 
tector of all that trust in Thee/' We are here 
taught how much depends on our attitude. 
Anxiety of heart over the common burdens' 
and responsibilities of life means that I am 
not trusting these things in His hands in such 
a way as to be able to claim Him as my pro- 
tector. 

II. Strength is the first thing necessary if 
I would conquer sin. Holiness is the result in 
my own character of winning spiritual vic- 
tories. His protection is the guarantee of my 
being strong and holy, and unless I trust Him 
I cannot have His protection. Thus am I 
taught the paramount importance of trust in 
God. 

III. We ask Him to be our Kuler and 
Guide. To submit to the rule and guidance of 
another requires the humility which is glad to 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 71 

give up one's own will. Thus humbly accept- 
ing whatever He sends, our life will be filled 
with the best and wisest things, and we shall 
be able to use everything temporal as such a 
means of further grace that we shall not lose 
the eternal blessings which are prepared for us. 



the Tiftb Sunday after trinity. 

Grant, Lord, we beseech thee, that the 
course of this world may he so peaceably ordered 
^y ^hy governance, that thy Church may joyfully 
serve thee in all godly quietness; through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen, 

I. The Church on earth is ever militant, 
and must ever be in the battle, but the divine 
love condescends to human infirmity, and 
grants us periods of outward peace as a prep- 
aration for further conflict. So we pray that 
the Church may now have times of godly 
quietness. But if we would have the enemy 
and the avenger thus stilled, we must be faith- 
ful soldiers in the hour of battle. 

H. A true peace can come only after the 
battle. We long for relief from the seige of 
temptation, but have we fought bravely and 
well ? If not, how can we ask for peace ? The 
soldier who has done nothing for his King, 
cannot appeal to Him for relief from the 
struggle. Such a prayer would be a shame to 
him. 

m. Peace faithfully won, brings, as the 



72 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

Collect implies, joy and godly quietness. The 
peace He gives is not an enervating relaxation 
from strife. It involves no cessation of ser- 
vice, but a continued and happy service, a 
foretaste of the joy they have who have en- 
tered upon the rest that remaineth for the 
people of God, but who nevertheless rest not 
day nor night from His perfect service. 



€be Sixtb Sunday after trinity. 

Godj who hast prepared for those who love 
thee such good things as pass man's understa/nd- 
ing; Pour into our hearts such love toward thee, 
that we, loving thee ahove all things, may obtain 
thy promises, which exceed all that we can de- 
sire; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen, 

I. The good things God has prepared for 
those who love Him, belong to this life as well 
as to the life to come. If we love Him, what 
joy do we have in the consciousness of His 
protecting love, what deep peace from the 
thought of leaning on the everlasting arms! 
And in the next life, these same blessings will 
be intensified a thousand-fold, and we shall 
rejoice then in the joy that can never be taken 
from us. 

II. In the fall man lost the power of lov- 
ing God, and it can now be restored only 
through God's gift. So we pray, "Pour Thy 
love into our hearts." The renewal of the 
power of loving is made in our Baptism, and 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 73 

after that, we must increase the love within 
us by constantly exercising it. Thoughts and 
deeds of love to God and to our fellow-man 
are the exercises by which our love will be 
made stronger. 

III. But there must be in our hearts no 
rival to God's love. We must love Him "above 
all things." This does not, however, mean 
that we should love none else but Him. We 
are to be in love and charity with all men, 
loving them in and for God. If we are thus 
living the loving life, we shall receive in the 
end His gracious promises which exceed all 
that we can desire. Loving words spoken and 
loving deeds performed will bring us little by 
little to the life of love. 



tbc St^mh Sunday after trinity* 

Lord of all power and might, who art the 
author and giver of all good things; Graft in 
our hearts the love of thy 'Name, increase in 
us true religion, nourish us vnth all goodness, 
and of thy great mercy keep us in the same; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen, 

I. To-day the Church hails our heavenly 
Father as "the author and giver of all good 
things." We have here suggested a test, to be 
constantly applied. All good things come 
from Him, and nothing can be good that has 
any other source. Let us question our hearts 
concerning the things we love best. Are they 



74 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

from God? Can I think of carrying tliem 
with me into His heavenly Presence ? If not, 
then they do not come from God, and are evil 
things, and are to be cast out of my life. 

II. We ask God to "graft in our hearts 
the love of His Name,'' — another form of last 
Sunday's petition to pour His love into our 
hearts, another acknowledgment that without 
Him we cannot love Him. If His love is 
grafted in our hearts there will be no lack of 
increase of true religion. Daily will we in- 
crease more and more in His Spirit ; more and 
more watchful and successful will we become 
in living the life He would live were He in 
our place. Am I thus watchful? 

III. We do not ask that His life be merely 
superimposed upon ours, but that it may fill us 
all in all. We ask that we ourselves, our own 
nature, may be so nourished and permeated 
with His own goodness, that He may so dwell 
in us and we in Him, that we can truly say, 
"I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." 



tbe €idbtb Stinday after trinity* 

God, whose never failing providence order- 
eth all things both in heaven and earth; We 
humbly beseech thee to put away from us all 
hurtful things, and to give us those things which 
are profitable for us; through Jesus Christ our 
Lord. Amen, 

I. The "never-failing Providence" of God 



THE VOICE OF MY PKAYER. 75 

— ^what strength lies in the thought ! Though 
clouds and darkness be in my life, His care of 
me never fails. He cries to my soul in its 
distress: "I have called thee by thy name; 
thou art Mine; when thou passest through the 
waters, I will be with thee; and through the 
rivers, they shall not overflow thee" (Isaiah 
xliii. 1, 2). 

II. Do I really believe these precious 
promises ? Am I anxious and careful of many 
things, or do I remember that His Providence 
ordereth all things? Anxiety is the result of 
uncertainty, and God's promises leave no room 
for uncertainty in the believer's mind. 

III. So, trusting in Him, we ask Him, 
(1) to put away from us all hurtful things, 
and (2) to give us those things which are 
profitable for us. So God's work in the soul 
is two-fold, and our cooperation with His 
Spirit must also be two-fold. The apostle 
commands not only "Eschew evil" but "Do 
good." Merely to keep from sin is not 
enough; I must also with loving purpose work 
the works of God. 



the nintb Sunday after trinity. 

Grant to us, Lord, we beseech thee, the spirit 
to think and do always such things as are right; 
that we, who cannot do anything that is good 
without thee, may hy thee he enabled to live 
according to thy will; through Jesus Christ our 
Lord. Amen. 



76 THfi VOICE OF MY PEAYER. 

I. Recall some good resolution of past 
years broken and forgotten. How ready we 
are in times of enthusiasm to think and plan 
such things as are right, but the pathway of 
life is strewn with the wrecks of our shattered 
plans. So we realize the need of the spirit not 
only to think such things as are right, but to 
perform them faithfully to the end. 

II. This spirit is (1) that of distrust of 
self, and (2) of trust in God. "We fail in our 
resolutions because we think to carry them out 
of ourselves. But distrust of self is useless 
unless there be a corresponding trust in God. 
Of myself I can do nothing, but trusting in 
Him, nothing will be beyond me. 

III. So with Him strengthening us both 
to think and to do, "through God we shall do 
great acts." Let us be brave and generous in 
what we purpose for Him. The duty may 
seem hard, but His love and omnipotence in- 
spired it, and "He that hath begun a good 
work in you will perform it until the day of 
Jesus Christ." 



tcnti) Sunday after trinity* 

Let thy merciful ears, Lord, he open to the 
prayers of thy humble servants; and that they 
may obtain their petitions make them to ask such 
things as shall please thee; through Jesus Christ 
our Lord. Amen, 

I. If we are truly God's "humble ser- 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 77 

vants," our prayers will surely be heard, for 
humility is the virtue which underlies all 
righteousness, and we are told that "the eyes 
of the Lord are over the righteous and His 
ears are open unto their prayers." Humility 
can be nurtured only by a patient endurance 
of the humiliations, great or small, that may 
come into our daily life. 

II. The humble prayer is that which con- 
tains no thought of securing our own will, for 
self-will is the essence of pride. "Not my 
will but Thine be done," is the prayer-motto 
of the humble servant of God. The thought 
of our own ignorance should keep us humble. 
How often have we prayed for what we de- 
sired, and realized later how merciful God was 
in refusing our foolish request. 

m. But though God may not give us 
what we humbly ask, the value of no faithful 
prayer is lost. The psalmist speaking of un- 
answered prayer, says, "My prayer shall turn 
into mine own bosom." The act of drawing 
near to God in an humble spirit, will always 
bring down great graces to us. So we may 
pray freely, if we only pray humbly, for in 
any case, a blessing will be ours. 



78 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

tbe eici^entb Sunday after trinity. 

God, who declarest thy almighty power 
chiefly in showing mercy and pity; Mercifully 
grant unto us such a measure of thy grace, that 
toe, running the way of thy commandments, may 
obtain thy gracious promises, and he made par- 
takers of thy heavenly treasure; through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. 

I. Give man unlimited power, and imme- 
diately he begins to tyrannize, but God dis- 
plays His almighty power "chiefly in showing 
mercy and pity.'^ Consider his omnipotence 
in His dealing with us. How seldom has His 
power been shown in our lives in judgment 
and rebukes! How rich have been the good- 
ness and mercy that have followed us all the 
days of our life! 

II. The ambition of a generous soul is, 
not to stumble along in ever-failing weakness, 
but with strong, swift steps to run the way of 
God's commandments. He alone can free our 
feet for the race; so we ask for "such a meas- 
ure of Thy grace" as will enable us to attain 
our ambition. His grace can enable me "to 
mount up with wings as eagles, to run and 
not be weary." 

III. By such a course, we shall be made 
partakers of the heavenly kingdom. But the 
treasure which will be our eternal glory must 
be that which we have laid up for ourselves in 
heaven by our life of prayer and good works 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 79 

on earth. Each loving thought, word, or deed, 
however small, is the laying up in heaven of 
a precious and eternal treasure. 



tbc twclfti) Sunday after trinity* 

Almighty and everlasting God, who art always 
more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont 
to give more than either we desire or deserve; 
pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy; 
forgiving us those things whereof our conscience 
is afraid, and giving us those good things which 
we are not worthy to ask, hut through the merits 
and mediation of Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. 
Amen, 

I. Meditate on the divine eagerness to 
hear and answer our prayers. How slow we 
are to pray ; how quickly wearied ! How alert 
God is to hear the least cry from our hearts! 
Our desire is lukewarm, and yet so richly does 
He bless us! Because of our sins we deserve 
naught, and yet His goodness and mercy fol- 
low us all our days. 

II. Of what is my conscience afraid? I 
have but one thing to fear — unrepented sin. 
A sin is unrepented of when I will not give 
it up. It may be a little thing seemingly, but 
it bears in it the seed of death. May our good 
God make me sore afraid at the thought of my 
habits of sin. 

III. The love of God never deals with us 
according to our deserving. It is the crown 



80 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

of His love to give us that which we are not 
worthy even to ask. A broken and contrite 
heart so wins the divine love that the richest 
gifts of heaven are not too good for it in 
God's eyes. 



tbe tbiruentb Sunday after trinity* 

Almighty and merciful God, of whose only 
gift it Cometh that thy faithful people do unto 
thee true and laudable service; grant, we beseech 
thee, that we may so faithfully serve thee in this 
life, that we fail not finally to attain thy heavenly 
promises; through the merits of Jesus Christ our 
Lord, Amen, 

I. God requires of every soul a service 
that at the Last Day can be pronounced "True 
and laudable." Many hearts grow faint as 
they reflect that the standard they must reach 
is not a worldly, but a divine one; that this 
service must be "true and laudable" according 
to God's estimate of what is right and praise- 
worthy. Thus does He teach us to realize 
our helplessness, that we might look to Him 
only for help. 

II. In the face of God's great demand 
upon us — ("be ye perfect") — ^we must turn to 
Him "of whose only gift it cometh that Thy 
faithful people do unto Thee true and laudable 
service." He will enable us to do all things 
for Him, and He alone can give this ability. 
Natural gifts of mind or heart, unless we use 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 81 

them according to His will, will only be for 
our greater condemnation since they afford op- 
portunities for His service which we shall be 
wasting. 

III. The service necessary for attaining 
the "heavenly promises" is that of faithful- 
ness. God trusts me daily to do my work, as 
being given to me by Him. Am I faithful to 
the trust? My business, my house-work, my 
study, — am I remembering that I am God's 
servant, and the way I do these must be re- 
ported to Him and He is to pass on them? 



tbe Toumentb Sunday after trinity* 

Almighty and everlasting God, give unto us 
the increase of faith, hope and charity; and, that 
we may obtain that which thou dost promise, 
make us to love that which thou dost command; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen, 

I. The virtues we ask for to-day were 
given us in Baptism; and they are increased 
by every prayer or good work done for love 
of God. To be thus increased they must be 
exercised. To increase my Faith, I must not 
worry over difficulties. He is my kind, loving 
Father; I am His little child. Surely I can 
trust in Him when "underneath are the ever- 
lasting arms." 

H. Supernatural hope is not a vague, fit- 
ful longing; it is the steadfast expectation of 
those things which will surely come to pass. 



82 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

My hope is based on His love. His promises, 
His power, I know He loves me; He has 
promised me the good things of His house; 
and He has the power to fulfil His promises. 
Truly "I have a good hope because of His 
word." 

HI. Charity is the greatest of Christian 
virtues, which I should exercise towards God 
and man. The test of love is loyalty. I am 
always loyal to those I really love. Am I 
really loyal to God in thought, word, and 
action? And, for His sake, am I gentle and 
kind to others, watching for, or better still, 
making, opportunities to do good to them in 
at least one little thing each day? 



tbe Tifteentb Sunday after trinity* 

Keep, we 'beseech thee, Lord, thy Church 
with thy perpetual mercy; and, because the frailty 
of man without thee cannot but fall, keep us ever 
by thy help from all things hurtful, and lead us 
to all things profitable to our salvation; through 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen, 

I. Christ, in His Body the Church, trusts 
us to finish the work that He "began to do" 
while on earth. We cannot do His work save 
through His "perpetual mercy," and His 
mercy operates in relation to our sins, which 
are the chief "things hurtful" against which 
we pray. If I watch and pray, I can put away 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 83 

sin, and so be able to do all that He asks me 
to do for Him. 

II. "The frailty of man without Thee 
cannot but fall." How often have we started 
out with some new and good resolution; our 
determination was firm; we thought to do 
much; but we failed. We had said ''I will do 
this," and we forgot to depend on God and to 
pray for His help. No good thing can be done 
save in and through Him. 

III. We ask Him also "to lead us to all 
things profitable to our salvation." What 
things are "profitable to our salvation?" 
Worldly goods, honours, pleasures? We know 
better than that. So let us not complain if 
in answer to this prayer disappointment or 
suffering come. Out of a patient endurance 
of these we can coin the true riches and joys 
of the Kingdom. 



tfee Sixteentb Sunday after trinity. 

Lord, we beseech thee, let thy continual pity 
cleanse and defend thy Church; and, because it 
cannot continue in safety without thy succour, 
preserve it evermore by thy help and goodness; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

I. We pray for His "continual pity" be- 
cause we realize our state of misery, resulting 
from our sin. We are in continual need of 
His loving mercy and compassion. The 



84 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

prophet says, "Thy mercies are new every 
morning," because as God looks on us with 
each returning day. He sees the ever return- 
ing results of the Fall. Cry daily for His 
"continual pity," and the continual inroads of 
sin will be checked. 

II. We ask first to be cleansed by His con- 
tinual pity. Our continual sin requires con- 
tinual cleansing, and this cleansing is not 
possible without continual repentance. Let 
me say daily from my heart, "God be merciful 
to me, a sinner," and the Precious Blood will 
cleanse me daily from all sin. 

HI. It is not cleansing only, but defense 
for the future that we require. His help will 
be given us in times of danger and temptation. 
His own divine quality of goodness will be 
given us so that we shall no longer desire any- 
thing sinful. Not only by external succour 
but by purifying our hearts within, will He 
preserve us evermore. 



tbe SeventeentI) Sunday after trinity* 

Lord, we pray thee, that thy grace may always 
prevent and follow us, and make us continually 
to he given to all good works; through Jesus 
Christ our Lord, Amen. 

I. This Collect bears witness to God's 
goodness under all conditions. (1) His grace 
prevents^ Le., it goes hefore us. He goes be- 
fore us and lovingly lays iij our path the op- 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 85 

portunity to gain grace by doing something 
for Him. How eagerly His love waits to see 
if we will see it and grasp it. (2) His grace 
also follows us. If we have failed to see the 
first opportunity. He pursues us with many 
others, never resting until we have made our 
own the grace His love has prepared. 

II. We ask that we may ^^continually be 
given to all good works." (1) His service can- 
not be fitful; it must be a continual service, 
corresponding to the continual pity which 
God's love gives us, as we were thinking last 
Sunday. A steady, regular service is our re- 
sponse to the love He gives us. (2) We must 
do all good works; i.e., everything must be 
done with the good motive of pleasing God. 

in. We ask that we may be given to all 
good works. This means not that we are to do 
good works occasionally, or from whim, but 
constantly, and as the result of an inherent 
tendency of character that exists in us. "One 
is given to doing this or that," we say, mean- 
ing that he does the thing spoken of naturally, 
easily, and habitually under ordinary circum- 
stances. Can this be said of me regarding 
the works that please God? 



86 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

tbe CidMecntI) Sunday after trinity. 

Lord, we beseech thee, grant thy people grace 
to withstand the temptations of the world, the 
flesh and the devil; and with pure hearts and 
minds to follow thee, the only God; through 
Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. 

I. We are bold to ask for grace against 
temptation because God has specially prom- 
ised that we shall not be tempted above that 
we are able. If we trust in Him, Satan is 
absolutely powerless against us. How bravely 
should I meet temptation when I know that 
victory is completely assured beforehand. 

II. We ask not to be saved from tempta- 
tion but for strength to withstand it. Only 
through struggle can we grow strong; only 
through the battle can we win the victory; 
only in being victorious can we lay hold on 
eternal life. In this great battle-prayer of the 
Church we imply our willingness to fight, ask- 
ing only grace to win the victory unto ever- 
lasting life. 

III. The divine promise is of escape, not 
from the temptation, but from sin. Have I 
faith in this promise? Do I show my faith 
by turning to God very quickly when I feel 
temptation drawing near? The promptness 
with which I turn to Him shows what my 
faith is. 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 87 

the nineteentb Sunday after trinity* 

God, forasmuch as vnthout thee we are not 
able to please thee; Mercifully grant that thy 
Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our 
hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. 

r 

I. The sole object of our creation is that 
we might give God pleasure (see Rev. iv. 11), 
and yet of ourselves we are powerless to please 
Him. "Apart from Me ye can do nothing/' 
said our Lord. But the Holy Spirit inspires 
St. Paul to speak in behalf of all Christian 
souls, crying, "I can do all things through 
Christ which strengtheneth me." How can 
we fail to pray when we reflect on our worth- 
lessness without Him, and on our boundless 
capacity if He is dwelling in us. 

II. We pray, ''Mercifully grant," and so 
we acknowledge our need of His mercy. He 
teaches us to pray, "Let Thy mercy be upon us 
as our trust is in Thee," that is, we are to ex- 
pect His mercy in proportion to our trust ; and 
our trust will be in proportion to our recog- 
nizing our weakness, and feeling the need of a 
strong arm upon which to lean. 

III. The Holy Spirit, the Third Person of 
the Blessed Trinity, is the Agent through 
whom all grace and blessing come to us, nor 
can we please God at all save by acting under 
the guidance of the Holy Ghost. The voice 
of an enlightened conscience is always the 



88 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

voice of the Holy Ghost. Follow that voice in 
all things, and God will be well pleased in you. 



CI)C twcntictb Sunday after trinity. 

Almighty and most merciful God, of thy 
"bountiful goodness keep us, we heseech thee, 
from all things that may hurt us; that we, being 
ready both in body and soul, may cheerfully ac- 
complish those things which thou commandest; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen, 

I. Life is full of the marks of the hounti- 
ful goodness of God. He pours it forth with- 
out measure; it follows me all the days of my 
life. With this assurance, so constant and 
unfailing, I can be bold to plead for the pro- 
tection of the divine goodness, for no hour is 
without its evidence that the one preeminent 
desire of the divine Heart is to fill me with 
such good things as pass man's understanding. 

II. Sin is the only thing that can really 
hurt us, because it is the only thing that can 
separate us from God. Sorrow and pain, be- 
reavement and death, if met aright, bring us 
nearer to God, and are therefore loving bless- 
ings, though often in disguise. I fear suffer- 
ing and flee from it; do I fear sin and flee 
from it as the only thing which in the end 
can be hurtful either to soul or body? 

III. We pray for deliverance that we 
might be ready to accomplish His will cheer- 
fully. Readiness is the preparation which 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 89 

gives one quickness of action. Consider the 
attitude of athletes in a race when the word, 
"Keady!" is given. How they stand, poised 
on tip-toe, at the next signal to spring for- 
ward with all their energy. Is my soul thus 
ready to spring forward to the doing of "the 
things which Thou commandest" ? 



the Cwcnty-fir$t Sunday after trinity* 

Crrant, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy 
faithful people pardon and peace, that they may 
he cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee 
with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our 
Lord, Amen. 

I. To-day we plead for God's faithful 
people to be cleansed from sin. It seems a 
contradiction. If we have been faithful, how 
is it that we need cleansing ? Alas, if we view 
it thus, then the faithful are indeed minished 
from the earth. But this is not God's view. 
Though I have sinned, if I turn to Him re- 
penting^ He counts me still as among the 
faithful ones who are deserving of His mercy. 

II. The pardon we crave involves much 
more than the taking away of sin and its con- 
sequences. It means the restoration of spirit- 
ual "beauty and strength — ^beauty that we 
might adorn His Kingdom and by our lives 
make God's service attractive to others; 
strength, that we might be able to avenge our- 



90 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

selves in the battle of temptation against 
Satan, and crush his power out of our lives. 

III. Such pardon as this must bring peace 
of heart. We are no longer anxious, because 
we know that in the strength of God we can 
overcome everything. Thus can we "serve 
Him with a quiet mind." Disquietude im- 
plies doubt; but there is no doubt in our 
minds. Sure of the final outcome, we can 
pass through darkness and strife, smiling and 
content ; "if God be for us, who can be against 
us''? 



tbe twenty-second Sunday after trinity* 

Lord, we beseech thee to keep thy household 
the Church in continual godliness; that through 
thy protection it may he free from all adver- 
sities, and devoutly given to serve thee in good 
works, to the glory of thy 'Name; through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. 

I. If the Church is to be kept in continual 
godliness, that is, God-liheness, we, its mem- 
bers, must seek that likeness daily by trying 
to live as our Lord would do were He in our 
place. If I am not earnestly endeavoring to 
set Him before me as a pattern I am to follow, 
then I cannot honestly join this prayer. Re- 
solve to be worthy to pray this prayer. 

II. We ask for this God-likeness in the 
Church in order that "through thy protection 
it may be free from all adversities." Protec- 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 91 

tion from the only real adversity — sin — de- 
pends upon this likeness in our souls, for that 
which thus protects is not merely an external 
care such as God gives to all His creatures, 
but is the divine power dwelling in us, and 
working through our minds and hearts and 
wills. This power can only dwell in me if I 
try to cultivate a likeness to our Lord. 

III. If Christ dwells in me, how mightily 
will He work in me! If He is within, it will 
be impossible not to serve Him in good works. 
Let me each day test the reality of His in- 
dwelling presence by examining what I have 
been thinking, saying and doing, whether it 
be of God. 



tbc twcnty-tbird Sunday after trinity. 

God, our refuge and strength, mho art the 
author of all godliness; Be ready, we 'beseech 
thee, to hear the devout prayers of thy Church; 
and grant that those things which we ask faith- 
fully we may obtain effectually ; through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. 

1. Last Sunday we thought of God-like- 
ness. To-day we learn that He alone is the 
author of that likeness. I must be like Him 
to be saved. He alone can give me the power 
to cultivate this likeness, and the means to 
be used is prayer. When I find myself failing 
to think, speak, or act as my conscience tells 
me He would do were He in exactly my place. 



92 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

do I quickly turn to God for help? This is 
the test of my Christian earnestness. 

II. But I dare not ask God to hear me 
unless I pray aright. I must offer devout 
prayers, prayers from a heart devoted to Him. 
This does not mean a lukewarm heart, crying 
to Him earnestly only in time of trouble, but 
a heart devoted to Him at all times, in ad- 
versity and prosperity, loving and leaning on 
Jesus in sweet and humble trust. 

III. If our hearts are devoted to Him, 
we will dsh faithfully, that is, full of faith, 
"nothing wavering," sure of God's love for us, 
and certain that, if it be good for us, we will 
surely obtain our petition. "Not my will but 
Thine, be done." Thus shall we ohtain ef- 
fectually, that is, gain that which will effect 
most in our lives for God's glory and our good. 



tbe twcnty-fourtb Sunday after trinity. 

Lord, we beseech thee, absolve thy people 
from their offences; that through thy bountiful 
goodness we may all be delivered from the 
bands of those sins, which by our frailty we have 
committed. Grant this, O heavenly Father, for 
Jesus Christ's sake, our blessed Lord and Saviour, 
Amen. 

I. We pray for the divine absolution for 
one special class of sins to-day, those which by 
our frailty we have committed. How solemn 
a consideration is our frailty. Our poor, weak 



THE VOICE OF IVIY PRAYER. 93 

nature, like a dead weight is dragging the 
soul down. The least relaxation of our vigi- 
lance against the evil tendency within, means 
sin. 

II. Satan is the instigator of all sin, but 
to lay the blame for our sins on him alone 
would be a shifting of responsibility which 
would indicate a poor state of penitence, and 
a slender realization of the greatness of our 
own fault. Our own carelessness and laxity 
are responsible for many sins. Satan has lit- 
tle need to tempt a careless soul. It is its own 
tempter. 

III. We are praying for pardon for the 
sins which hy our frailty we have committed. 
How about the sins which by our wilfulness 
we have committed? Let us not soothe our 
conscience too much by the thought of our 
frailty. We are largely responsible for our 
own weakness, for it has grown out of the wil- 
ful sins of the past. The only soothing balm 
we can safely apply to our conscience is the 
thought, "A broken and contrite heart, O God, 
Thou wilt not despise." 



tbe Sunday next Before Jidpent 

stir up, we beseech thee, Lord, the icills of 
thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bring- 
ing forth the fruit of good works, may by thee 



94 THE VOICE OF MY PEAYER. 

he plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ 
our Lord. Amen. 

I. The will has been called the "royal 
faculty/' because it governs the whole life. 
But not even in our wills have we any power 
of ourselves to help ourselves. They must be 
stirred up by the power of God, and this can 
only be as the result of prayer. The new 
Church year lies before us. Let me dedicate 
my will anew to God, giving it into His keep- 
ing that my whole life and work might be 
for Him. 

II. Good works are the result of charac- 
ter. If I have a strong, Christ-like character 
within, it will infallibly find expression in 
works for the glory of God. But this char- 
acter depends on my will. I. must, by firmly 
willing it, do and think and speak according 
to Christ's example, and so little by little His 
character, the pure, strong Christian character, 
will be formed within me. 

III. The character being formed by re- 
peated good acts, it will in its turn bring forth 
good works, for my character becoming like 
Christ's, it will be the natural thing to work 
according to the divine will. Then shall I 
gain that plenteous reward which He has for 
those who serve Him faithfully. 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 95 

St JIndrew's Day. 

(November 30.) 

Almighty God, who didst give such grace unto 
thy holy Apostle Saint Andrew, that he readily 
obeyed the calling of thy Son Jesus Christ, and 
followed him vAthout delay ; Grant unto us all, 
that we, being called by thy holy Word, may 
forthwith give up ourselves obediently to fulfil 
thy holy commandments ; through the same Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. 

I. St. Andrew readily obeyed and followed 
our Lord without delay. The first character- 
istic of an acceptable obedience is promptness. 
The child that gladdens the father's heart is 
the one who, without lingering or questioning, 
hastens with happy cheerfulness to fulfil the 
command. Likewise do we gladden our 
Heavenly Father's heart by our ready obe- 
dience. What a happy thought that we have 
it in our power to make God's heart glad. 

II. How reasonable it is that we should 
obey promptly. Even sinners will acknowl- 
edge, if they stop to think it out, that the 
service of a loving Father is better than the 
hard service of self and the world. From 
even the selfish standpoint it is better, for our 
Father's service leads to peace of mind in this 
world, and eternal peace in the world to come. 

III. But there is a still higher motive for 
a ready obedience. Love is always quick to 
act, it does not wait to reason and argue. If 



96 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

I love my Heavenly Father I will not loiter 
in His service. I will spring up with joyful 
alertness at His least command, because love 
will spur me on to give myself without delay 
to Him who has now the fulness of my heart's 
love. 



Saint tbomas the Jlpostk* 

(December 21.) 

Almighty and everlasting Ciod, who, for the 
greater confirmation of the faith, didst suffer thy 
holy Apostle Thomas to he doubtful in thy Son's 
resurrection; grant us so perfectly, and without 
all doubt, to believe in thy Son Jesus Christ, that 
our faith in thy sight may never be reproved. 
Hear us, Lord, through the same Jesus Christ; 
to ivhom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all 
honour and glory, now and for evermore. Amen, 

I. There is nothing that God cannot use 
for His glory and for our good. Even St. 
Thomas' doubt was used as a means of draw- 
ing out a proof of His Resurrection which 
could never be refuted. Many things that 
may seem to be misfortunes, God may all the 
while be using for His glory. 

II. The devil tempted St. Thomas to 
doubt, thinking thus to dishonour our Lord. 
That which followed his doubt has made the 
faith of millions of Christians perfect. If I 
meet my temptations with a heart strong in 
divine love, they will result in the vanquishing 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 97 

of Satan, and the glorifying of God through 
my victory. 

III. When St. Thomas believed after hav- 
ing seen, our Lord said to him, "Blessed are 
they that have not seen and yet have believed." 
This special beatitude belongs to us. We have 
not seen Him, but we believe; we cannot see 
Him in the Blessed Sacrament, yet we believe 
He is there. Let us not long for signs and 
wonders, lest we forfeit the greater blessedness 
of those who have not seen and yet have be- 
lieved. 



the eonpersion of St. Vml 

(January 25.) 

God, who through the preaching of the bless- 
ed Apostle Saint Paul, hast caused the light of the 
gospel to shine throughout the world; Grant, we 
beseech thee, that we, having his wonderful con- 
version in remembrance, may show forth our 
thankfulness unto thee for the same, by follow- 
ing the holy doctrine which he taught; through 
Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. 

I. The Collect for to-day begins with the 
praise of God and of the great Apostle who, 
by lending himself so humbly and perfectly 
to the divine will became the instrument of 
this great spread of the Gospel. God's love 
seeks daily to win its way among men, but it 
waits till it can find a human instrument. We 
hinder the free course of divine love by re- 



98 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

sisting His will ; we help it on whenever we 
cry with converted Saul, "Lord, what wilt 
Thou have me to do?" 

II. What are the marks of this wonderful 
conversion which we say we have in remem- 
brance? (1) A desire to know the truth. 
"Who art Thou, Lord?" (2) A readiness to 
obey. "What wilt Thou have me to do ?" (3) 
The patience with which, in blindness and 
suffering, he waited until God chose to reveal 
His will to him. (4) The humility with which 
he, the distinguished Pharisee, was ready to 
receive the ministrations of humble Ananias. 
(5) The boldness with which he began to live 
and preach his new-found faith and joy. 

III. Hemembering these things, we pray 
that we may show forth our thankfulness by 
following the holy doctrine St. Paul taught. 
Gratitude is the test of the Christian life, and 
we show our gratitude by obedience. The wil- 
ful, disobedient soul is the ungrateful soul, 
and the ungrateful soul is the unconverted 
soul, and "except ye be converted ... ye 
shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" 
(St. Matt, xviii. 3). 



tbc Purification of St Itlary m Uirgim 

(February 2.) 

Almighty and ever-living God, we humbly be- 
seech thy Majesty, that as thy only-begotten 
Son was this day presented in the temple in sub- 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 99 

stance of our flesh, so we may he presented unto 
thee ivith pure and clean hearts, by the same thy 
Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

I. On this day when our Lord humbled 
Himself in the temple, we make a point of 
addressing the "Majesty" of God, because His 
humiliation in the Incarnation must ever re- 
call the majestic fact that that little Child 
was God. It was just because He was God 
that He could afford to assume the weakness 
of an infant. Those who know their own 
strength can afford to be humble. Only those 
who doubt their own power take refuge in 
pride and arrogance. If I realized that "God 
is the strength of my life," I would have less 
difficulty in being meek and lowly. 

n. He was presented "in substance of our 
flesh" as the first fruits of the many brethren 
He was to bring to perfection in His Body, 
the Church. Because He was offered, we are 
to offer ourselves "body, soul and spirit" to 
God. Do I daily offer myself and all my ac- 
tions to God? Do I perform my work so that 
it will be an offering of which I will not be 
ashamed ? 

III. Living and working so that we can 
offer every little thing in our life to God — 
every thought, every action — we need not fear 
what the end will be. We will have such "pure 
and clean hearts" that at the last He will pre- 

Lorc 



100 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

sent us to our heavenly Father, vouching for 
us as worthy to share the glory of the eternal 
kingdom. 



Saint mattDi(i$' Day« 

(February 24.) 

Almighty God, who into the place of the 
traitor Judas didst choose thy faithful servant 
Matthias to he of the number of the twelve 
Apostles; Grant that thy Church, being always 
preserved from false Apostles, may be ordered 
and guided by faithful and true pastors; through 
Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen, 

I. When Judas "by transgression fell," 
God chose His "faithful servant Matthias" to 
fill the vacant place. We do not hear of him 
anywhere until suddenly it is announced that 
by his faithfulness he has won a place among 
the Apostles. He was faithful in little, he 
was rewarded with an apostolic throne. God 
promises me the great reward that I shall sit 
"with Him in His throne"; but I must win 
it by being faithful in all things. 

II. The Collect for this feast is a special 
prayer for the pastors of the Church. This 
is one of the great Christian duties. We often 
complain that the life of the Church is not 
what it ought to be. If we prayed more and 
criticized less, perhaps there would be less oc- 
casion for complaint. It may be a terrible 
revelation to me at the Judgment to see how 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 101 

much wrong in the Church I am responsible 
for because of "the prayers I never prayed." 

III. Our prayer is in substance that God 
would send forth labourers into His harvest. 
The need for workers was never greater than 
it is to-day. It is estimated that fifty mil- 
lions of souls in America are living without 
God and without hope. Of these an awful 
procession, nine hundred thousand strong, 
streams out into the darkness of eternity every 
year. They are my brethren, and I am my 
brother's keeper. Have I done anything by 
prayer or a word in season to help one of these 
souls to know God? If I have not, what ac- 
count can I give at the Judgment ? 



the JInnunciation of tbe Bk$$ed Uirdin mary* 

(March 25.) 

We beseech thee, Lord, pour thy grace 
into our hearts; that as we have known the In- 
carnation of thy Son Jesus Christ by the message 
of an Angel; so hy his cross and passion we may 
be brought unto the glory of his resurrection; 
through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen, 

I. The demands made upon faith by the 
Christian revelation are so great that we may 
well cry, "Who is sufficient for these things?'^ 
Therefore as we consider the dogma of the 
Incarnation, we first pray, "Pour Thy grace 
into our hearts" ; for only His grace and pres- 
ence can give us the power to believe. But 



102 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

in the power of His grace so strong does faith 
become, that the Incarnation seems to be no 
longer a matter of faith, but of knowledge: 
^We have known the Incarnation by the mes- 
sage of an angel." 

II. Then we continue our prayer, "So," — 
that is, in like manner,* with the same cer- 
tainty — may we "be brought unto the glory of 
His resurrection." But there is something 
that comes between the Incarnation and its 
glorious consequence, that is "His Cross and 
Passion." Before He was glorified He suf- 
fered. Before we can share His glory, we 
must endure the cross. 

III. The bearing of the Cross was what 
our Lord referred to when He said He had 
come to do "the will of His Father and to 
finish His work." The Father asks us, who 
are members of Christ's Body, to share this 
work with Him, but He asks it in love. He 
longs to bring His banished home again, and 
only through the Cross can we attain to His 
perfection. There is no other possible instru- 
ment of perfection. It were therefore ingrati- 
tude to repine at it, for only by union with 
His Cross and Passion can we come to "the 
glory of His resurrection." 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 103 

Saint mark's Day. 

(April 25.) 

Almighty God, who hast instructed thy holy 
Church with the heavenly doctrine of thy Evange- 
list Saint Mark; Give us grace that, being not 
like children carried away with every blast of 
vain doctrine, we may be established in the truth 
of thy holy Gospel; through Jesus Christ our 
Lord. Amen. 

I. The Collect tells us of the true Author 
of the Gospel teaching. God instructed the 
Church, using in His divine instruction, the 
doctrine of St. Mark. He used St. Mark's 
lips to speak, his brain with which to think, 
his hand to write the truth, that His Church 
might be instructed. But in all it was God 
Himself who was doing the work. He wishes 
to use me in a similar manner. My daily 
effort must be to let Him so use my thoughts 
and words that others may through me learn 
more of God. 

II. St. Mark's doctrine was contained, 
first, in his preaching. A faithful Evangelist, 
he preached the word in season, out of season. 
He preached not only publicly, however, but 
at all times and places was seeking in his life 
and conversation, to say a good word for the 
Lord Jesus. I, too, am called to this special 
form of ministry. By a simple daily living of 
the Christ-life I can preach more effectively 
than can be done in the greatest sermons. 



104 THE VOICE OF MY PEAYER. 

m. St. Mark's greatest preaching, how- 
ever, is in the written word of his Gospel, 
which has been handed down through the 
ages. I cannot write inspired books, but no 
word that I speak for God, no act I do for 
Him, if it be inspired by love for Him, can 
ever fall to the ground. The influence of the 
smallest action done for God sets in motion a 
force which will endure as long as eternity 
lasts. 



Saint PMlip and Saint James' Day* 

(May 1.) 

Almighty God, whom truly to know is ever- 
lasting life; Grant us perfectly to know thy Son 
Jesus Christ to he the way, the truth, and the 
life; that, following the steps of thy holy 
Apostles, Saint Philip and Saint James, we may 
stedfastly walk in the way that leadeth to 
eternal life; through the same Jesus Christ our 
Lord, Amen, 

I. Think of St. Philip in the upper room 
asking, "Lord, show us the Father." He de- 
sired to see and know Him, "whom truly to 
know is everlasting life." It is still the cry 
of loving souls who realize their need of a 
strong, loving Father. We desire to know 
Him better; to feel the power of His love, up- 
lifting and restraining, soothing and strength- 
ening. 

II. Our Lord replies, "He that hath seen 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 105 

Me hath seen the Father." Whoso has looked 
upon the face of Jesus, and found life and 
love and truth, "hath seen the Father," and 
knows Him, for our Lord saith, "I and My 
Father are one." Look to Jesus, trust Him in 
every little perplexity, put your hand in His 
to he guided hy Him, and the knowledge of 
the Father will be yours unto life eternal. 

III. We ask that we might perfectly know 
"Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the 
life," in order that we might "stedfastly walk 
in the way that leadeth to eternal life," for as 
Thomas A'Kempis says : "Without the way 
there is no going, without the truth there is 
no knowing, without the life there is no liv- 
ing." To walk in His steps may not seem 
easy at first but with it will come a fuller 
dawning of the truth, and at the last the per- 
fection of life eternal. 



Saint Barnabas the Jlpostlc. 

(June 11.) 

Lord God Almighty, who didst endue thy 
holy Apostle Barnabas with singular gifts of the 
Holy Ghost ; Leave us not, we beseech thee, des- 
titute of thy manifold gifts, nor yet of grace to 
use them alicay to thy honour and glory, through 
Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen, 

I. St. Barnabas was endued "with singular 
gifts of the Holy Ghost," because "he was a 
good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of 



106 THE VOICE OF MY PEAYER. 

faith." God delights to give the best gifts to 
those who with fullest faith give themselves 
to Him. If I believe in Him. with all my 
hearty and trust Him, and follow quickly every 
suggestion His Spirit makes to my conscience, 
I too will have His best and richest gifts of 
grace. 

II. The first petition is very pleasing to 
God, for it is a bold one, indicating a strong 
confidence in His loving generosity. We ask 
not for spiritual gifts few in number or lim- 
ited in range, but for "manifold gifts," that 
is, gifts many and great. This prayer implies 
a willingness to do for God those things which 
require a great spiritual equipment. It is a 
prayer worthy to be connected with the feast 
of the great soul who literally left all and fol- 
lowed Christ (See Acts iv. 36, 37). 

m. The courage and generosity of the 
soul that would adventure high things for God 
are further implied in the petition that we 
might "use them alway to Thy honour and 
glory." To ask for and accept great gifts is 
a great responsibility, and God has the right 
to expect great zeal and devotion of us. But 
let us not shrink from the responsibility. 
Trust Him with the faith of St. Barnabas, for 
"He which hath begun a good work in you 
will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 107 

Saint 3obn Baptist's Day* 

(June 24.) 

Almighty God, by whose providence thy ser- 
vant John Baptist was wonderfully horn, and sent 
to prepare the icay of thy Son our Saviour, by 
preaching repentance ; Make us so to follow his 
doctrine and holy life, that we may truly repent 
according to his preaching ; and after his example 
constantly speak the truth ^ boldly rebuke vice, and 
patiently suffer for the truth's sake; through 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen, 

I. St. John Baptist not only preached re- 
pentance, but (though sanctified from his 
mother's womb), he lived a penitential life. 
How different was he in his humility in the 
obscurity of the wilderness, from us in our 
pride and self-assertiveness. And when our 
Lord came, his humble willingness to step 
aside and give place to Him, illustrates the 
lesson of humility which this day teaches. 

II. We ask that we might follow (1) his 
doctrine, and (2) his holy life. First, his doc- 
trine in order that we might truly repent. 
Real sorrow for sin is shown by amendment. 
Let me look back on the past month. What 
special effort have I made during that time 
to conquer some special habit of sin? 

III. The works of the holy life we pray 
for are mentioned in the Collect. (1) Speak- 
ing the truth, preaching Jesus in my daily life 
that men may see how sweet and happy a 



108 THE VOICE OF MY PHAYER. 

thing it is to be a real Christian. (2) Boldly- 
rebuking vice. I must begin by rebuking sin 
in myself, stamping out evil habits; then can 
I with strong hands help others. (3) Suffer- 
ing for the truth's sake. The temptations of 
Satan, the misunderstanding of friends be- 
cause of the way we feel called to serve God, 
all these are the sufferings we must endure 
for the truth's sake. 



Saint Peter's Day* 

(June 29.) 

Almighty God, who "by thy Son Jesus Christ 
didst give to thy Apostle Saint Peter many eos- 
cellent gifts, and commandedst him earnestly to 
feed thy flock; Make, we heseech thee, all Bishops 
and Pastors diligently to preach thy holy Word, 
and the people obediently to follow the same, that 
they may receive the crown of everlasting glory; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen, 

I. When St. Peter was called he was an 
ignorant peasant fisherman, one of the last 
men the world would have chosen. Yet of 
him it is said that he received "many excel- 
lent gifts." Thus does God choose "the weak 
things of the world to confound the things 
which are mighty." He has chosen me to do 
something for Him in my life, not because I 
am fit, but because He loves me. And He 
will do the work in me if I give Him my heart 
daily. "He does not choose what is fit, but He 
fits what He chooses." 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 109 

II. When St. Peter heard the words, "Fol- 
low Me," and left all to follow Jesus, he did 
not know that it was the first step in his prep- 
aration to be a prince of the Heavenly King- 
dom. I know not what place God has for me, 
but I must answer promptly the little daily 
calls, if I would not lose my place, and dis- 
appoint the loving Father who calls me. 

III. Consider with what deep earnestness 
our Lord commanded St. Peter to feed His 
lambs. It is not only those who are called to 
the priesthood who are to feed Christ's flock. 
Are there no little lambs about me, dear to the 
Heart of the Good Shepherd, that I can help? 
The sheep are scattered on the hills, they are 
wandering far, the wolves of sin are fierce — 
can I not save one for the Master's fold? A 
little word spoken in season, one appeal to 
some little child's heart to love Jesus more — 
who can tell what great things these might 
be in the Kingdom? 



Saint James tbe JIpo$tle. 

(July 25.) 

Grant, merciful God, that as thine holy 
Apostle Saint James, leaving his father and all 
that he had, without delay was obedient unto 
the calling of thy Son Jesus Christ, and followed 
him; so we, forsaking all worldly and carnal 
affections, may he evermore ready to follow thy 



110 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

holy commandments; through Jesus Christ our 
Lord, Amen, 

I. This is the Collect of obedience and 
vocation. St. James was called not only to do 
God's service in the ordinary walks of life, but 
to leave "his father and all that he had/' and 
follow Jesus. He was among the first to make 
the response which brought him the reward of 
a hundred-fold in this life and in the world to 
come life everlasting, and he made it "without 
delay." Oh, happy soul, so swift to follow 
Jesus! Alas, how many hear His voice, and 
hearken not. They have their part in the 
things of this world; what will be their re- 
ward in the life to come ? 

II. It was not easy to respond, but St. 
James' love was not looking for something 
easy. He did not stop to hear Satan's argu- 
ment in favor of waiting. We fail in our 
obedience because we make God wait until we 
have respectfully considered the devil's persua- 
sion to stay where we are instead of answer- 
ing the divine call. 

III. If St. James forsook what was good 
that he might receive that which was better, 
can I not forsake "all worldly and carnal 
affections," and that which is wholly evil? 
Two vocations are offered me, — one to heaven 
and one to hell; two voices are calling, — that 
of Satan, and the loving voice of Jesus. What 
answer shall I make? 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. Ill 

tbc transfiguration of ebrist 

(August 6.) 

God, who on the mount didst reveal to 
chosen vAtnesses thine only -begotten Son won- 
derfully transfigured, in raiment white a/nd 
glistering; Mercifully grant that we, being de- 
livered from the disquietude of this world, may 
be permitted to behold the King in his beauty, 
who with thee, Father, and thee, Holy 
Ghost, liveth and reigneth, one God, world with- 
out end. Amen, 

I. Consider that our Lord's Transfigura- 
tion took place "as He prayed." So the power 
of prayer alone can transfigure our lives and 
change even the cares and trials and tempta- 
tions, into things which will reflect in them- 
selves the divine glory. Prayer and trust will 
make the darkest path a shining way that 
leads to God. 

H. His earthly Transfiguration was re- 
vealed to those who were faithful in their fol- 
lowing of Him. To those who have learned 
the secret of the joy and glory of His service 
through faithful perseverance, He shows Him- 
self daily in the glory of His love and good- 
ness. To all others, "He has no beauty that 
they should desire Him." Is He to me the 
chiefest among ten thousand and altogether 
lovely ? 

III. We pray "that we being delivered 
from the disquietude of this world, may be 



112 THE VOICE OF MY PEAYEH. 

permitted to behold the King in His beauty." 
This is not only a prayer for the final vision 
of Him in His glory, but that also in this life 
we might have that peace that comes to those 
whose souls are stayed on Him. It is the 
peace that arises from the certainty of our 
Christian hope as compared with the dis- 
quietude and feverish restlessness of the 
worldly heart. 



Saint Bartbolotnew tbe Bmtk. 

(August 24.) 

Almighty and everlasting God, who didst 
give to thine Apostle Bartholomew grace truly 
to believe and to preach thy Word; Grant, we 
beseech thee, unto thy Church, to love that 
Word which he believed, and both to preach and 
receive the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. 

I. St. Bartholomew is another name of St. 
Nathanael, who at first doubted if any good 
could come out of Nazareth. The reply was 
given him, "Come and see." He came, hum- 
bly willing to learn, and the first look from 
the loving eyes of Jesus converted his heart, 
and elicited from him his great confession of 
faith. My conversion depends on my humble 
willingness to learn of Christ. 

II. We are told that the Apostle had the 
grace ''truly to believe and preach." It was 
a service of his whole heart. Nothing was 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 113 

held back, and men, seeing the earnestness of 
his faith, believed the word that he preached. 
The world quickly detects a half-hearted ser- 
vice, and the example of such a service will 
not lead others to the truth. 

III. We pray that His Church may (1) 
"love the word that he believed," and (2) may 
both "preach and receive the same." The 
preaching of the Word is not to be only by the 
ordained ministry, but by every baptized soul. 
We are to preach by our words and actions in 
our daily intercourse with men. What am I 
doing to show in my life how true and joyful 
a thing God's service is? 



Saint mattbcw tbe Jlpostk. 

(September 21.) 

Almighty God, who hy thy blessed Son didst 
call Matthew from the receipt of custom to he an 
Apostle and Evangelist ; Grant us grace to for- 
sake all covetous desires, and inordinate love of 
riches, and to follow the same thy Son Jesus 
Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the 
Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen. 

I. We pray on this feast to be delivered 
from all covetous desires. It was covetous- 
ness that led Matthew to join his country's 
conquerors in exacting the oppressive taxes. 
But those who grasp after great riches are 
not the only covetous souls. If my heart is 



114 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

discontented and complaining, I am equally 
a violator of God's Commandment. 

II. St. Paul tells us covetousness is idola- 
try, because the covetous set up in their hearts 
earthly things as idols. God and Mammon 
are both constantly making offers to me. One 
in tender love offers to me the true and eter- 
nal riches; the other offers worldly rewards 
which will soon fade. Which am I choosing, 
whom am I serving — God or Mammon ? 

III. The only safety is to follow St. Mat- 
thew's example. He recognized the call of 
God and immediately left all and followed 
Him. He did not stop to argue the yros and 
cons of the call. To argue thus is to put one's 
self in Satan's attitude. If there is a doubt 
we cannot solve, let us give God, not self and 
Satan, the benefit of it. Infinitely better it is 
to make a mistake of judgment on God's side 
than on the devil's. 



Saint micbael and HII Hngels^ 

(September 29.) 

everlasting God, who hast ordained and con- 
stituted the services of Angels and men in a won- 
derful order; Mercifully grant that, as thy holy 
Angels always do thee service in heaven, so, "by 
thy appointment, they may succour and defend 
us on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen, 

I. God has ordained the services of His 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 115 

creatures in a wonderful order. Order is the 
first law of heaven, and until man sinned was 
the first law of earth. He wishes us to serve 
Him in a systematic, orderly way. There was 
no disorder in Eden. Everything was in its 
proper place, doing its proper work, and all 
perfectly responsive to the divine will. How 
I should abhor sin when I reflect that it, and 
it only, brought into the world all the disorder 
which makes life a vale of tears. 

II. To have a zeal for God for a time, 
and then to grow lax, is to mock God. My 
service of Him must be with order and regu- 
larity; not according to impulse, but accord- 
ing to a principle of love and of justice per- 
sistently followed; of love, in return for His 
goodness to me; of justice, because I owe it 
to Him as my Father and Creator. 

III. The sin of man dislocated the won- 
derful order God had instituted in His earthly 
creation, and ever since. His desire has been 
to restore that perfection. The angels always 
do Him service^ and by His appointment they 
succour and defend us that we, in union with 
our Lord and by following His example, may 
the more speedily attain that restored per- 
fection. 



116 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

Splint Cuke tbe Ep^ngelist 

(October 18.) 

Almighty God, loJio calledst Luke the Physi- 
cian, whose praise is in the Gospel, to he an 
Evangelist, and Physician of the soul; May it 
please thee that, hy the wholesome medicines of 
the doctrine delivered hy him, all the diseases of 
our souls may he healed; through the merits of 
thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

I. We know little of St. Luke's life save 
that he wrote two letters to Theophilus (see 
St. Luke i. 3 and Acts i. 1), to tell him of 
Christ. Little did he think when in his zeal 
for the salvation of a single soul, he wrote 
those letters, which we call his Gospel and the 
Acts, that God would use them to give light 
and immortality to millions of souls in after 
ages. I never know what may come of the 
smallest action done for love of God. 

II. If God has for our benefit done so 
great things with St. Luke's work, it behooves 
each Christian to seek to gain the uttermost 
he can from "the wholesome medicines of the 
doctrine delivered by him." I cannot be con- 
tent to move in a mere groove, but day by day, 
I must labour to gain more light and knowl- 
edge of God from the Blessed Gospel. 

III. Every new ray of Bible light that 
comes is a wholesome doctrine to heal the 
diseases of my soul. Day by day I should be 
more perfectly healed from sin and its effects 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 117 

by learning more of the truths of the Gospel, 
and by practising them with loving zeal. Re- 
solve to read a few verses of the Bible daily. 
It is the very Word of God. Meditate on the 
adoring reverence with which we should ap- 
proach the divine oracles of Scripture. 



Saint Simon and Saint 3udc, Hpo$tlc$« 

(October 28.) 

Almighty God, who hast built thy Church 
upon the foundation of the Apostles and Proph- 
ets, Jesus Christ himself being the head corner- 
stone; Grant us so to be joined together in unity 
of spirit by their doctrine, that we may be made 
an holy temple acceptable unto thee; through 
Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen, 

I. What a mighty foundation has been 
laid for the divine Kingdom — the apostles and 
prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the head 
corner-stone ! Am I building my life on Him ? 
Are my thoughts, words and actions, the whole 
course of my life, based upon Him and the 
principles He declares in the Gospels? If the 
thought of His love is the mainspring of my 
life, then am I building upon a Rock, and in 
time of storm I shall stand fast. 

II. He laid the foundation, but St. Luke 
tells us that in His earthly life "He began 
to do and to teach" (Acts i. 1) ; and He ex- 
pects us to carry on His work. I am an in- 
strument that He has chosen for the upbuild- 



118 THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 

ing of the Kingdom. Each prayer, each lov- 
ing act, is a stone I can lay in these eternal 
walls. By faithfulness to Him I can become 
a master-builder on the walls of the Heavenly 
City. 

III. But our prayers and loving acts are 
a part of ourselves, and if they are as stones 
in the fabric, it means that little by little we 
are building ourselves into the Kingdom, and 
becoming holy temples acceptable unto Him, 
and meet for His indwelling. Let me make 
sure that nothing defiles my soul or body, lest 
I thereby defile the temple of the Holy Ghost. 



Till Saints' Day« 

(November 1.) 

Almighty God, who hast knit together thine 
elect in one communion and fellowship, in the 
mystical body of thy Son Christ our Lord; Grant 
us grace so to follow thy blessed Saints in all 
virtuous and godly living, that we may come to 
those unspeakable joys which thou hast prepared 
for those who unfeignedly love thee; through 
Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen, 

I. We often lose sight of what member- 
ship in the Church means, because we do not 
regard with sufficient literalness what the Holy 
Ghost says when He calls the Church "the 
Body of Christ." We and all Christ's mem- 
bers are knit together in one fellowship in 
His Body. The same divine life that indwelt 



THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER. 119 

St. Peter and St. Paul, St. Francis or St. 
Vincent, dwells in me, just as the same blood 
that gives life to my hand, gives also life to 
my foot. 

n. Certain members of my fleshly body 
may be of more importance than others, but 
they are not less instinct with life. I occupy 
a far less important place in "the Church, 
which is His Body," than the Saints, but that 
is no reason why I, in my lesser place, should 
not be as alive and thrilling with the life of 
God as those who may be His very right hand. 

111. Note the meaning of the word knit. 
Two things knit together are not merely 
bound one to the other by an external tie, 
however strong, but the very threads that com- 
pose the fabric, the warp and the woof, are so 
interwoven that they become one piece, and 
cannot be severed without rending and spoil- 
ing the whole. So I am knit into the Body of 
Christ, and so do I rend and dishonour that 
Sacred Body if I commit mortal sin. But, 
remaining knit up into that Body, I shall 
come to those unspeakable joys prepared for 
those who unfeignedly love Him. 

FINIS. 



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